Joan Allen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joan Allen
Allen in 2000
Born	Rochelle, Illinois, U.S.
Alma mater	Eastern Illinois University Northern Illinois University
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1977–present
Spouse(s)	Peter Friedman ​ ​ (m. 1990; div. 2002)​
Children	1

Joan Allen is an American actress. She is famous for her work in movies and on stage. She has won a Tony Award and been nominated for many other big awards. These include three Academy Awards (also known as the Oscars!), a BAFTA Award, three Primetime Emmy Awards, and three Golden Globe Awards.

She started acting in 1977 with the Steppenwolf Theatre Company. She won a Drama Desk Award in 1984 for her play And a Nightingale Sang. Her first time on Broadway was in Burn This, which won her a Tony Award in 1988. From the mid-1990s to early 2000s, Joan became very well-known for her amazing acting. She was nominated for three Academy Awards (Oscars). These nominations were for her roles in Nixon (1995), The Crucible (1996), and The Contender (2000).

Joan Allen has also starred in many other popular films. Some of these include Manhunter (1986), Peggy Sue Got Married (1986), and Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988). She also appeared in Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993), The Ice Storm (1997), and Face/Off (1997). Later films include Pleasantville (1998) and the Bourne movie series. She won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 2015 film Room.

Early Life and Education

Joan Allen was born in Rochelle, Illinois. She is the youngest of four children. Her mother, Dorothea Marie, was a homemaker. Her father, James Jefferson Allen, owned a gas station. She has an older brother named David and two older sisters, Mary and Lynn.

Joan went to Rochelle Township High School. Her classmates even voted her "most likely to succeed." She first studied at Eastern Illinois University. There, she performed in some plays with John Malkovich, who was also a student. Later, she went to Northern Illinois University. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theater from there.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting on Stage and Broadway

Joan Allen began her acting journey on the stage and in television shows. Her first movie role was in Compromising Positions (1985). In 1977, John Malkovich asked her to join the Steppenwolf Theatre Company. She has been a member ever since.

In 1984, she won a Clarence Derwent Award. This was for her role as Hellen Stott in And a Nightingale Sang. Her work with Steppenwolf includes plays like Three Sisters and Love Letters. In 1989, Joan won a Tony Award for her first Broadway performance. This was in the play Burn This, where she acted alongside John Malkovich.

She also starred in The Heidi Chronicles, a play that won a Pulitzer Prize. The show received great reviews and six Tony Award nominations. It even won for Best Play. Joan Allen was nominated for her second Tony Award for her role in this play.

Becoming a Well-Known Actress

In 1995, Joan played Pat Nixon, the former First Lady. This was in the movie Nixon, directed by Oliver Stone. She acted opposite Anthony Hopkins, who played Richard Nixon. Critic Roger Ebert praised Joan's performance. He said she seemed "strong-willed and clear-eyed." She was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

The next year, Joan played Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible (1996). Elizabeth Proctor was a woman accused of witchcraft. Joan acted with Daniel Day-Lewis in this film. It was based on the famous Arthur Miller play. A critic from Entertainment Weekly said Joan's performance carried "the weight of the film's sorrow." She won the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also received another Academy Award nomination.

In 1998, Joan starred in Pleasantville. This was a fantasy comedy-drama directed by Gary Ross. She acted with Jeff Daniels, Reese Witherspoon, and Tobey Maguire. She won the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress for this role. A reviewer from Variety noted her "subtle transformation" in the film.

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

Recent Work and Broadway Return

In 2004, Joan played Rachel McAdams' mother in the movie The Notebook. She also played CIA Deputy Director Pamela Landy in the Bourne movie series. These films include The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, and The Bourne Legacy. Joan also appeared as a prison warden in Death Race (2008).

In 2009, Joan Allen played Georgia O'Keeffe in a TV movie about the artist's life. She returned to Broadway in March 2009 after twenty years. She played Katharine Keenan in the play Impressionism with Jeremy Irons. Joan also voiced the character Delphine in the 2011 video game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. She also voiced Deborah in The Word of Promise audio Bible.

In 2015, Joan took on a main role in the ABC drama series The Family. She played Claire Warren, a strong and sometimes tricky mayor. After a break from acting in movies and TV, she co-starred in Lisey's Story in 2021. This was an Apple TV miniseries based on a Stephen King novel.

Personal Life

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

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Theatre Performances

Audio Work

Video Game Roles

Awards and Nominations

Images for kids

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  Joan Allen in 2000

See also

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In Spanish: Joan Allen para niños