Happy Birthday, Joan Van Ark! The beloved Knots Landing actress is celebrating her 77th birthday on Tuesday, June 16, 2020. Best known for her role as Valene Ewing on the Dallas spin-off, Joan Van Ark is revered as one of America’s first strong women on a prime-time soap opera.
Joan was born on June 16, 1943, in New York City before her family relocated to Boulder, Colorado, where she grew up with three siblings.
After striking a friendship with actress Julie Harris, who encouraged Joan to attend Yale’s School of Drama, Joan did and was accepted, therefore launching her acting career.
Joan began in the theater having worked on stage opposites legends such as Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronyn. She starred opposite Bette Davis in the television.
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