Joan Van Ark facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joan Van Ark
Joan Van Ark in 2007
Born	Joan Martha Van Ark (1943-06-16) June 16, 1943 (age 82) New York City, U.S.
Education	Yale University
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1963–present
Spouse(s)	John Marshall ​ (m. 1966)​
Children	Vanessa Marshall

Joan Martha Van Ark (born June 16, 1943) is an American actress. She is most famous for playing Valene Ewing on the TV show Knots Landing. This show was a spin-off from the popular series Dallas.

Joan Van Ark started her acting career on Broadway in 1966. She was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play in 1971 for her role in The School of Wives. She won two Soap Opera Digest Awards for Best Actress while on Knots Landing. She also hosted the Tournament of Roses Parade in 1985. Later, she appeared in the soap opera The Young and the Restless and returned to play Valene Ewing in the new Dallas series in 2013.

Early Life and Education

Joan Van Ark was born in New York City. Her parents, Dorothy Jean and Carroll Van Ark, were both writers. Her father was also an advertiser. She grew up in Boulder, Colorado, with her three brothers and sisters.

When Joan was 15, she was a student reporter. She met and interviewed the famous actress Julie Harris. Julie Harris suggested that Joan apply to the Yale School of Drama. Joan followed this advice and received a scholarship to Yale Drama. She was one of the few students accepted into the graduate program without first getting a college degree. She was also reportedly the only female student there at the time.

Years later, Julie Harris acted on Knots Landing as Lilimae Clements. This character was the mother of Valene Ewing, Joan Van Ark's character. After Julie Harris passed away in 2013, Joan Van Ark helped create the Julie Harris Scholarship. This scholarship helps actors study at the Yale Drama School. In 2021, Yale Drama became tuition-free.

Acting Career Highlights

Van Ark and Howard Duff in Felony Squad (1968)

Joan Van Ark began her acting career at the Guthrie Theater. She performed in plays like The Miser and Death of a Salesman. She then joined the national tour of Barefoot in the Park. In 1966, she performed this role in London and then made her Broadway debut in the same play.

In 1971, Joan returned to Broadway. She earned a Theatre World Award and a Tony Award nomination for her role in The School of Wives. She also starred in the horror film Frogs in 1972.

After signing a contract with Universal Studios, Joan Van Ark worked with Bette Davis in the TV movie The Judge and Jake Wyler. She also appeared in an episode of M*A*S*H in 1973. She was a regular actress in the TV comedies Temperatures Rising (1972–73) and We've Got Each Other (1977–78).

In 1974, she returned to Broadway for a play called The Rules of the Game. In this play, she worked with Glenn Close, who was her understudy. Joan also did voice acting, playing Spider-Woman in the 1979 animated series.

Starring in Dallas and Knots Landing

In 1978, Joan Van Ark got her most famous role as Valene Ewing on Dallas. This role was first meant to be a one-time appearance. However, the writers liked her character and brought her back for more episodes.

In 1979, Joan carried the Valene character over to the spin-off show, Knots Landing. She was a main actress for 13 of the show's 14 seasons. She left in 1992 but came back for the final two episodes in 1993. Her character, Valene, was married three times to Gary Ewing, played by Ted Shackelford. She also married Ben Gibson and Danny Waleska.

During her time on Knots Landing, Joan won two Soap Opera Digest Awards for Best Actress (1986, 1989). One of her most recognized storylines was when Valene's twin babies were stolen. This story was very popular and helped Knots Landing become one of the top 10 TV shows in 1984–1985. The episode where Valene found out her babies were alive was the number one show in the weekly Nielsen ratings on May 23, 1985. TV Guide praised her acting, saying Knots Landing had the "strongest cast, headed by the incomparable Joan Van Ark as Valene." She also directed two episodes of the series.

In 1985, Joan co-hosted the Tournament of Roses Parade with Bob Barker. This show was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award. Joan Van Ark and her Knots Landing co-star Michele Lee became good friends while working together. In 1997, Joan played Valene Ewing again in the mini-series Knots Landing: Back to the Cul-de-Sac. In 2005, she appeared in a reunion special called Knots Landing Reunion: Together Again.

Later Work and Appearances

After Knots Landing, Joan Van Ark directed an ABC Afterschool Special called Boys Will Be Boys: The Ali Cooper Story (1994). This show was nominated for a Humanitas Award. She also directed a documentary about homelessness and domestic violence, which was nominated for an Emmy Award.

From 2004 to 2005, she played Gloria Fisher Abbott on the soap opera The Young and the Restless. She also performed in plays Off-Broadway, including Love Letters and Three Tall Women.

Joan Van Ark has appeared in many TV movies. These include With Harmful Intent, My First Love, Always Remember I Love You, and When the Dark Man Calls. She has also been a guest star on many TV shows like Bonanza, M*A*S*H, The Six Million Dollar Man, Kojak, The Love Boat, and Wonder Woman.

In 2008, she reunited with her Knots Landing co-star Donna Mills in an episode of the show Nip/Tuck. In 2009, she attended the TV Land awards, where Knots Landing was honored for its 30-year anniversary. In 2013, she was a guest judge on the show RuPaul's Drag Race.

Personal Life

On February 1, 1966, Joan Van Ark married news reporter John Marshall. They were high school sweethearts in Boulder, Colorado. They got married in Trier, Germany, where John was working in the Armed Forces Television Service. For their honeymoon, they visited places made famous by Joan of Arc, Joan's namesake.

Joan and John have one child, a daughter named Vanessa Marshall. Vanessa is a voice actress, model, and singer. In 1997, Joan and Vanessa acted together in a play called Star Dust.

Joan Van Ark is also a long-distance runner. She has run in 14 marathons and has even been on the cover of Runner's World magazine.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Joan Van Ark para niños