Joan Van Ark

Joan Van Ark launched her acting career with an impressive start, becoming the second youngest student ever admitted to the Yale School of Drama on scholarship—preceded only by Julie Harris, who would later become her lifelong friend and co-star on “Knots Landing.”

She made her professional stage debut at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis in Molière’s “The Miser,” opposite Hume Cronyn and Zoe Caldwell. She followed that with “Death of a Salesman” alongside Cronyn and Jessica Tandy. After a season at Arena Stage in Washington, D.C., Joan was cast in the national tour of “Barefoot in the Park,” directed by Mike Nichols. She later reprised the role in both the West End and on Broadway. Her stage work earned her a Tony Award nomination for “The School for Wives” and a Theatre World Award for “The Rules of the Game.”

She is perhaps best known for her role as Valene Ewing beginning on Dallas and continuing on the spin-off series, “Knots Landing.” During her 13 seasons as Val, she earned six award nominations and two Soap Opera Digest Awards for Best Actress. Joan also starred in the TV comedies “Temperature Rising” and “We've Got Each Other.” In May 1997, she reprised her role in the CBS miniseries “Knots Landing Reunion: Back to the Cul-de-sac,” and again in a second reunion special in December 2005. In 2008, she and her “Knots Landing “castmates appeared on NBC's Today Show, and again in 2009 on CBS's The Early Show. In 1998, she guest-starred in an episode of “The Nanny” written specifically for her. From 2004 to 2005, she starred in the CBS soap opera “The Young and the Restless.” In 2013, she reprised her iconic role of Valene in an episode of the rebooted “Dallas” TNT series. In 2025, Van Ark reunited once again with “Knots Landing“ co-stars Michele Lee and Donna Mills for the episodic podcast “We're Knot Done Yet,” available on streaming platforms such as Podbean and Spotify.

She also made guest appearances on “My Name is Earl “and “Nip/Tuck.” Her television movie credits include “When the Darkman Calls,” “Moments of Truth: A Mother's Deception,” “In the Shadows: Someone’s Watching” (actor/producer), “Boys Will Be Boys” (actor/director, Humanitas nomination), “Terror on Track 9,” “Tainted Blood,” “Menu for Murder,” “Always Remember I Love You,” “My First Love,” and “Shakedown on Sunset Strip.”

Her voice work includes the CBS animated series “Santo Bugito,” and she provided the voice for “Spider-Woman.” In 1997, Joan directed a short documentary on homelessness and domestic violence for the Directors Guild of America, which earned an Emmy nomination. She appeared in the feature film “Held for Ransom” alongside Dennis Hopper and Debi Mazar, and starred in “Up, Michigan!,” which received the most favorable audience response at the New York Independent Film Festival. Other screen appearances include “Loyal Opposition,” “Camino Real” at the Folger Theatre, “Twice in a Lifetime,” “Son of the Beach,” “Net Games,” and “The Icemakers” with Tippi Hedren.

Her stage appearances include “The Vagina Monologues “in Beverly Hills and the national tour, “Blackout “at the McCadden Theater in Hollywood, and “The Exonerated” off-Broadway. At the Kennedy Center, she originated the role of Mrs. Fenway in “Escape,” part of “Five by Tenn,” a collection of newly found Tennessee Williams one-acts alongside Kathleen Chalfant, Patricia Clarkson, and Sally Field. In 2005, she starred in the world premiere of “Private Fittings,” Mark O'Donnell’s adaptation of a Feydeau farce at the La Jolla Playhouse, directed by Tony winner Des McAnuff. She returned to the stage in 2006 in Tennessee Williams’ “A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur” at Hartford Stage.

Joan is married to her high school sweetheart, John Marshall, an award-winning television journalist and founder of eNewswires.com. Their daughter, Vanessa Marshall, is an accomplished actress, comedian, and voiceover artist.