Joanna Barnes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joanna Barnes
Barnes in 1959
Born	(1934-11-15)November 15, 1934 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	April 29, 2022(2022-04-29) (aged 87) Sea Ranch, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress writer
Years active	1956–2002
Spouse(s)	Richard Edward Herndon (m. 1955; div. 19??) Lawrence Dobkin ​ ​ (m. 1961; div. 1967)​ Jack Lionel Warner ​ ​ (m. 1980; died 2012)​

Joanna Barnes (born November 15, 1934 – died April 29, 2022) was an American actress and writer. She was known for her roles in movies like Auntie Mame and The Parent Trap. She also wrote several books.

Early Life and School Days

Joanna Barnes was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Her parents were John Pindar Barnes and Alice Weston Murch. She grew up with two sisters, Alice and Judith.

Joanna went to Milton Academy for high school. Later, she attended Smith College, graduating in 1956. She studied English and was a very good student, joining the special academic group Phi Beta Kappa. She even won an award for her poetry at college.

Joanna Barnes' Acting Career

Joanna Barnes started acting after doing research for a magazine article about making movies. This research made her want to try acting herself!

Television Roles

Joanna's first TV appearance was on a show called Ford Theatre. She became a guest star on many popular TV series. These included 77 Sunset Strip, Maverick, and Have Gun - Will Travel.

In 1958, she played Kate Henniger in the Western series Colt .45. A year later, she was Lola in the detective show 21 Beacon Street.

During the 1960s, Joanna appeared in two episodes of The Beverly Hillbillies. She played Peter Falk's ex-wife in the 1965–1966 CBS series The Trials of O'Brien. She also hosted a daytime talk show called Dateline: Hollywood in 1967.

Movie Roles

With Peter Falk in The Trials of O'Brien (1965)

With Roger Moore in The Trials of O'Brien

After college, Joanna moved to Los Angeles. She signed a contract with Columbia Pictures and acted in more than 20 films.

One of her most famous roles was Gloria Upson in the movie Auntie Mame (1958). For this role, she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award as a New Star of the Year.

In 1959, Joanna played Jane in Tarzan, the Ape Man. She was the 13th actress to play the character of Jane.

A memorable role for many kids is her part in Disney's original 1961 movie The Parent Trap. She played Vicki Robinson, who tries to break up the parents. In the 1998 remake of The Parent Trap, she had a small role as Vicki Blake. This time, she played the mother of the new "gold-digger" character.

In 1967, she also appeared in the Western movie The War Wagon, starring famous actors John Wayne and Kirk Douglas.

Joanna Barnes as a Writer

Besides acting, Joanna Barnes was also a talented writer and columnist. She enjoyed writing because it was something she could do all by herself. She felt that if she wrote a book, it was completely her own creation.

She wrote a book about home decorating called Starting from Scratch. She also wrote several novels, including The Deceivers (1970) and Who Is Carla Hart? (1973). Joanna wrote a weekly book review for the Los Angeles Times newspaper. Her column "Touching Home" appeared in other newspapers too.

Later Life and Passing

Joanna Barnes passed away at her home in Sea Ranch, California, on April 29, 2022. She was 87 years old.

Select Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Joanna Barnes para niños