Joan Copeland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joan Copeland
Copeland in 2011
Born	Joan Maxine Miller (1922-06-01)June 1, 1922 New York City, U.S.
Died	January 4, 2022(2022-01-04) (aged 99) New York City, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1945–2011
Spouse(s)	George J. Kupchik ​ ​ (m. 1946; died 1989)​
Children	1
Relatives	Arthur Miller (brother) Rebecca Miller (niece)

Joan Copeland (born Joan Maxine Miller; June 1, 1922 – January 4, 2022) was an American actress. She was the younger sister of the famous writer Arthur Miller. Joan Copeland started her acting career in the mid-1940s in New York City. She was one of the first members of the Actors Studio, a special place where actors learn and practice their craft.

In the 1950s, she began acting in television and movies. However, she also continued to perform a lot on stage. She is especially known for her roles in the Broadway musical Pal Joey in 1977. She also won an award for her acting in the play The American Clock in 1981. Joan Copeland played many important characters in popular TV soap operas. These included Andrea Whiting on Search for Tomorrow and Gwendolyn Lord Abbott on One Life to Live. She also lent her voice to the character Tanana in the Disney movie Brother Bear.

Her Life Story

Joan Miller was born into a middle-class Jewish family in New York City. Her father, Isidore, made women's clothes. Her mother, Augusta, was a schoolteacher and a homemaker. Joan was the younger sister of Kermit Miller and the well-known writer Arthur Miller. For a short time, she was also the sister-in-law of actress Marilyn Monroe. Interestingly, Joan and Marilyn shared the same birthday!

In 1946, Joan married George J. Kupchik, who was an engineer. They had one son named Eric. Joan and George were married until George passed away in 1989. Joan Copeland died at her home in Manhattan on January 4, 2022. She was 99 years old.

Her Acting Career

Joan Copeland started her acting journey in the theatre. Her first professional role was Juliet in William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet in 1945. This performance took place at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. She made her first appearance on Broadway in 1948. This was in the play Sundown Beach.

She continued to have a very busy career in theatre. She acted in many other Broadway shows. Some of these include Detective Story (1949), The Price (1968), and Coco (1969). Later in her career, she also appeared in 45 Seconds from Broadway (2002) and Wit & Wisdom (2003).

Joan Copeland also performed a lot Off-Broadway in New York City. Off-Broadway shows are usually smaller than Broadway ones. She played Desdemona in Othello in 1946. She also appeared in End of Summer (1974) and Candida (1979). In 1991, she won an Obie Award for her role as Eva Adler in The American Plan.

Television and Film Roles

In the early 1950s, Joan Copeland began acting on television. She appeared as a guest on shows like Suspense. She also acted in the live TV version of O'Neill's play The Iceman Cometh in 1960.

She was very well-known for her roles in many soap operas. These are long-running TV dramas. She played Andrea Whiting on Search for Tomorrow. She also played twin sisters Maggie and Kay Logan on Love of Life. Other soap operas she appeared in include The Edge of Night and As the World Turns. From 1978 to 1979, she played Gwendolyn Lord Abbott on One Life to Live. She returned to that show in 1995 to play Selma Hanen. From 1993 to 1997, she had a regular role as Judge Rebecca Stein on Law & Order. She also made guest appearances on popular shows like All in the Family and ER.

Joan Copeland's first movie role was Alice Marie in The Goddess (1958). Her film career was not as busy as her stage or TV work. She mostly played important supporting characters. Some of her movie roles include Middle of the Night (1959), Roseland (1977), and It's My Turn (1980). Later films include Jungle 2 Jungle (1997) and The Peacemaker (1997). She also voiced the character Tanana in Disney's animated movie Brother Bear (2003). Her last film role was in a short film in 2011.

In 2014, Joan Copeland was honored by The Noel Coward Society. She helped lay flowers on the statue of Sir Noël Coward in Manhattan. This celebrated his 115th birthday.

Joan Copeland was recognized for her talent. She was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for her role in Pal Joey in 1976. She then won a Drama Desk Award in 1981 for her performance in The American Clock.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Joan Copeland para niños