Joanne Linville facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Joanne Linville
Linville in 1960
Born	Beverly Joanne Linville (1928-01-15)January 15, 1928 Bakersfield, California, U.S.
Died	June 20, 2021(2021-06-20) (aged 93) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1950–2005, 2016
Spouse(s)	Mark Rydell ​ ​ (m. 1962; div. 1973)​
Children	2, including Christopher Rydell

Joanne Linville (born January 15, 1928 – died June 20, 2021) was an American actress. She was also a respected acting teacher. Many people remember her best for playing a Romulan Commander in the TV show Star Trek: The Original Series.

Discovering Joanne Linville

Her Early Life and Learning

Joanne Linville was born in Bakersfield, California, on January 15, 1928. She went to high school in Long Beach, California. Before becoming an actress, she worked as an assistant for a dentist who performed oral surgery. She later studied acting with a famous teacher named Stella Adler. To pay for her acting lessons, Joanne also worked as a professional dancer.

Her Acting Career

Joanne Linville had a long and busy acting career, mostly on television. She appeared in many popular TV shows.

She starred in two episodes of Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond. These were "The Dead Part of the House" (1959) and "A Moment of Hate" (1960).

In 1961, she appeared in the famous science fiction show The Twilight Zone. She played a character named Lavinia in the episode "The Passersby".

Becoming a Star Trek Commander

In 1968, Joanne Linville played a special role that made her very well-known. She was a guest star in the Star Trek episode "The Enterprise Incident". In this episode, she played a Romulan commander. This role became her most famous performance. It also gave her a "cult status," meaning many fans loved her in that part.

Other TV Shows and Movies

Joanne Linville appeared in many other television shows. Some of these include Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Have Gun Will Travel, Gunsmoke, Hawaii Five-O, and Charlie's Angels. She also acted in TV movies like House on Greenapple Road (1970) and James Dean (2001). In James Dean, she played a real-life gossip columnist named Hedda Hopper. Her former husband, Mark Rydell, directed this movie.

Writing and Teaching

In the 1980s, Joanne Linville decided to act less and focus on teaching. She wrote a book called Joanne Linville's Seven Steps to an Acting Craft. This book was published in 2011.

She taught a course called "The Power of Language" at the Stella Adler Academy in Los Angeles. One of her students was the famous actor Mark Ruffalo. He said that Joanne Linville didn't just talk about great acting; she showed what great acting was.

Her Personal Life

Joanne Linville was married to actor and director Mark Rydell. They were married from 1962 until they divorced in 1973. They had two children together, Amy and Christopher. Both of their children also became actors.

Joanne Linville also enjoyed playing tennis as a hobby. She even played in charity events where people could pay to play a game against her.

Her Passing

Joanne Linville passed away on June 20, 2021. She was 93 years old.

Film and TV Roles

Joanne Linville had many roles in movies and on television. Here are some of her notable appearances:

Movies

Television Shows