Joan van Ark, born June 16, 1943, in New York City, had parents unrelated to film. She met Julie Harris as a teenager in Denver, who encouraged her to attend Yale Drama School on a scholarship.
This made her the second woman enrolled there. Joan gained fame in TV shows like “Temperature’s Rising,” “Spider-Woman,” “Days of Our Lives,” and “Dallas,” where she played Valene Ewing. She continued this role in “Knots Landing” for 13 seasons, totaling 327 episodes. Despite leaving before the final season, she cherished her time on the show. Married to newscaster John Marshall, they have a daughter, Vanessa Marshall.
With a net worth of $10 million, Joan remains active in the industry, recently appearing in the 2017 film “Psycho Wedding Crasher” and joining The Actor’s Studio as a life member.
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