Joan Allen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joan Allen
Allen in 2000
Born	(1956-08-20) August 20, 1956 (age 68) Rochelle, Illinois, U.S.
Education	Eastern Illinois University
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1977–present
Spouse(s)	Peter Friedman ​ ​ (m. 1990; div. 2002)​
Children	1

Joan Allen (born August 20, 1956) is an American actress. She is well-known for her work in both plays and movies. She has won a Tony Award and has been nominated for three Academy Awards. She also received nominations for a BAFTA Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards.

Joan Allen started her acting journey with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in 1977. She won the 1984 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play for her role in And a Nightingale Sang. In 1988, she made her Broadway debut in Burn This, winning a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. From the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, Joan Allen became famous worldwide for her amazing performances. She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her roles in Nixon (1995) and The Crucible (1996). She also received an Academy Award for Best Actress nomination for The Contender (2000).

Allen has appeared in many other popular films. These include Manhunter (1986), Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), The Ice Storm (1997), and Face/Off (1997). She also starred in Pleasantville (1998) and the Bourne movie series. For her role in the 2015 film Room, she won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress. She has also performed in Broadway plays like The Heidi Chronicles (1988) and The Waverly Gallery (2018).

Early Life and Education

Joan Allen was born on August 20, 1956, in Rochelle, Illinois. Her mother, Dorothea Marie, was a homemaker, and her father, James Jefferson Allen, owned a gas station. She has an older brother, David, and two older sisters, Mary and Lynn.

When she was in high school, Joan tried out for a school play and got a part. After graduating, she went to Eastern Illinois University. There, she met actor John Malkovich, who would later become an important part of her career.

Acting Career Highlights

Early Work and Broadway Success

Joan Allen started her acting career on stage and in television shows. Her first movie role was in Compromising Positions (1985). In 1977, John Malkovich invited her to join the Steppenwolf Theatre Company. With Steppenwolf, she performed in plays like Three Sisters and Love Letters.

In 1989, Joan Allen won a Tony Award for her first Broadway performance in Burn This, where she acted alongside John Malkovich. She also starred in The Heidi Chronicles, a play that won a Pulitzer Prize. This play was very popular and received six Tony Award nominations, winning Best Play. Joan Allen was nominated for her second Tony Award for her performance in this show.

Becoming a Recognized Actress

In 1995, Joan Allen played Pat Nixon, the Former First Lady, in the movie Nixon. She acted opposite Anthony Hopkins, who played Richard Nixon. Critics praised her performance, with Roger Ebert saying she was "strong-willed and clear-eyed." She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for this role.

The next year, Allen played Elizabeth Proctor, a woman accused of witchcraft, in The Crucible (1996). She starred with Daniel Day-Lewis in this film, which was based on the famous 1953 play. Her performance earned her the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress and another nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. In 1997, she appeared in the drama The Ice Storm and the action film Face/Off.

In 1998, Joan Allen starred in the fantasy comedy-drama Pleasantville. She acted alongside Jeff Daniels, Reese Witherspoon, and Tobey Maguire. She won the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role. Critics noted her excellent change from a quiet character to a free-spirited one.

In 2000, she was nominated for Best Actress for her role in the political drama The Contender. In this movie, she played a politician facing a scandal. She starred with Jeff Bridges and Gary Oldman. In 2001, Allen was in the TV mini-series The Mists of Avalon and received a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie nomination.

Recent Roles and Return to Stage

In 2004, Joan Allen played Rachel McAdams' mother in the movie The Notebook. In 2005, she received great reviews for her main role in the comedy-drama The Upside of Anger. In this film, she played a character dealing with personal challenges. She was nominated for a Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actress.

Allen also played CIA Deputy Director Pamela Landy in the popular Bourne movie series. These films include The Bourne Supremacy (2004), The Bourne Ultimatum (2007), and The Bourne Legacy (2012). In 2008, she appeared in Death Race.

In 2009, Allen starred as Georgia O'Keeffe in a TV movie about the artist's life. She returned to Broadway in March 2009 for the play Impressionism with Jeremy Irons. She also lent her voice to the character Delphine in the 2011 video game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. In 2015, Allen took on a leading role in the ABC drama series The Family, playing a mayor and family leader.

After a break from Broadway, Allen returned in 2018 for the play The Waverly Gallery. She acted alongside Elaine May and Lucas Hedges. Critics praised her performance for its strong emotions. In 2021, she co-starred in Lisey's Story, an Apple TV miniseries based on a Stephen King novel. She will also appear in the Netflix series Zero Day.

Personal Life

In 1990, Joan Allen married actor Peter Friedman. They had one daughter named Sadie, who was born in February 1994. The couple divorced in 2002.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre

Audio

Video games

Awards and Recognition

See also

In Spanish: Joan Allen para niños