Joan Van Ark
ON SOAP OPERA DIGEST AND WEEKLY ONLINE
SOAP STAR STATS
Joan Van Ark (ex-Gloria, Y&R)
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Joan Van Ark (ex-Gloria, Y&R)
— CBS
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Vital Statistics
- Birthday:
- June 16
- Birthplace:
- New York, NY
- Marital Status:
- Married to John Marshall since 1968
- Children:
- Actress Vanessa Marshall
- Awards:
- SOAP OPERA DIGEST Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in 1986 and 1989 for her portrayal of Valene on KNOTS LANDING
The 411
Joan Van Ark was born in New York and is married to her high school sweetheart, John Marshall, a former award winning TV newsman. They are the parents of Vanessa Marshall, an accomplished actress and comedian. Joan was the second youngest student to attend the Yale School of Drama on a scholarship. The youngest was Julie Harris. It was the beginning of a lifelong friendship. Joan joined the cast of THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS in April 2004, in the role of Gloria Fisher, the mother of troubled Kevin Fisher and longtime Genoa City resident Michael Baldwin. Perhaps best known for her television role as Valene Ewing, first on the hit drama DALLAS and then on the spin-off series, KNOTS LANDING, Van Ark played the role for 15 years, earning six nominations and two SOAP OPERA DIGEST Awards for Best Actress. She has also directed a short documentary on homelessness and domestic violence for the Directors Guild of America, which was nominated for an Emmy. Her Afterschool special, BOYS WILL BE BOYS, was nominated for the prestigious Humanitas Award for her direction. Lifetime Television recently honored her with their one-hour INTIMATE PORTRAIT.
Et Cetera
—Was a WEAKEST LINK contestant and was voted off.
—Runs marathons.
—Attended Yale School of Drama on a scholarship.
Career Highlights
Other Soap Roles
KNOTS LANDING (Valene, 1979-1992)
DALLAS (Valene, 1978-1981)
DAYS OF OUR LIVES (Janie Whitney, 1970)
PEYTON PLACE (Nurse Paula, 1968)
TV Roles
TORNADO WARNING (Mayor McAnders, 2002)
10-8: OFFICERS ON DUTY (Astrid Fonseca, 2003)
MYSTERIOUS WAYS (Emma Shepard, 2001)
POWER RANGERS ZEO (Heather, 1996)
V.R. TROOPERS (Kaitlin Star, 1994)
Film Roles
IceMaker (Isabella Hemingway, 2003)
Net Games (Dr. Klein, 2003)
UP, Michigan! (Deborah Michaels, 2001)
Held for Ransom (Nancy Donavan, 2000)
Theater Roles
Barefoot in the Park
The School of Wives
The Rules of the Game
Five by Tenn
Memorable Quotes
"I have some notes that I haven't sung yet, and I want to do that." — Soap Opera Digest, 8/10/04
"This ain't a piece of cake. This is a tough job. The pace is very fast." — on the rigors of daytime, Digest, 8/10/04
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