JOAN VAN ARK

JOAN NACIÓ EL 16 DE JUNIO DE 1943 EN LA CIUDAD DE NUEVA YORK y creció en Boulder, Colorado. En su último año de Secundaria, conoció a JULIE HARRIS, que le sugirió que pidiese una beca en la Yale Drama School. Le fue concedida y así se convirtió en la 2ª mujer (Harris había sido la 1ª) y la persona más joven en asistir a la escuela con una beca.

La gran oportunidad de Van Ark fue un papel protagonista en Broadway con BAREFOOT IN THE PARK. Desde entonces, ha aparecido en Broadway con THE RULES OF THE GAME y THE SCHOOL FOR WIVES, por la cual recibió una propuesta para los premios TONY y un Theatre World Award.

En Los Angeles, ha estrenado en el Ahmanson Theatre CYRANO DE BERGERAC y RING AROUND THE MOON, y también ha actuado en el reconocido Guthrie Theatre de Minneapolis y el Arena Stage de Washington, D.C. Obtuvo el Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award por su interpretación en el montaje de AS YOU LIKE IT para el Los Angeles Shakespeare Festival. También ha encarnado el personaje principal de JOAN OF ARC en la universidad de Colorado, en su pueblo natal de Boulder.

Van Ark fue actriz fija en las series LAS ENFERMERAS y ENTRE 2 QUE BIEN SE QUIEREN, y puso la voz a Spiderwoman en la serie de dibujos. Ha aparecido en episodios sueltos de LAS VEGAS, THE NEW ADVENTURES OF WONDER WOMAN, VACACIONES EN EL MAR, LOS CASOS DE ROCKFORD, RHODA y QUINCY.

Sus créditos en la TV incluyen los telefilmes TESTIMONIO DE 2 HOMBRES, THE LAST DINOSAUR, BIG ROSE, THE BIONIC BOY, THE JUDGE AND JAKE WYLER y THE RED FLAG. Ha protagonizado una sola película para cine, FROGS (foto inferior, sola), al lado de RAY MILLAND. Consiguió el papel de VAL en DALLAS cuando la actriz prevista, CAROL LYNLEY, abandonó.

JOAN es una ávida corredora que suele seguir una rutina diaria de millas. Sus diversiones favoritas son cabalgar, esquiar y coleccionar antigüedades. Ella y su marido JOHN MARSHALL, un reportero de la KNBC premiado con el Emmy, tienen una hija, VANESSA, y viven en Studio City, California.

Desde que KL cerró sus puertas en 1993, JOAN ha protagonizado varios telefilmes, incluida una Reunión de KL, ha intervenido como invitada en series como EL PRINCIPE DE BEL AIR, CYBILL, LA NIÑERA o THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, y ha actuado en las obras THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES y A LOVELY SUNDAY FOR CREVE COEUR. Su última película se titula CHANNELS. Por su papel de VAL, obtuvo 2 SOAP OPERA DIGEST AWARDS.

"Podría hacer otra Reunión quizá, pero no más, porque creo que ya he acabado con VAL y he avanzado. He interpretado a mujeres distintas, más divertidas y fuertes, que me desafían, y utilizo otros recursos. Le tengo mucho cariño, pero avanzamos como actores y personas."

JOAN VAN ARK was born on June 16, 1943 in NEW YORK CITY and raised in Boulder, Colorado. In her senior year in high school she met JULIE HARRIS, who suggested she apply for a scholarship to Yale Drama School. She was accepted and thus became the second woman -- Harris being the first -- and the youngest person to attend the school on a scholarship.

VAN ARK's first major break was a starring role on Broadway in BAREFOOT IN THE PARK. She has since appeared in Broadway in THE RULES OF THE GAME and THE SCHOOL FOR WIVES, the latter for which she received a Tony nomination and a Theatre World Award.

She has appeared at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles in CYRANO DE BERGERAC and RING AROUND THE MOON and has also performed at Minneapolis' renowned Guthrie Theatre and the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C.

She won the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for her performance in the Los Angeles Shakspeare Festival's production of AS YOU LIKE IT. She also starred in the title role of JOAN OF ARC at the university of Colorado in her hometown of Boulder.

JOAN was a series regular on TEMPERATURES RISING and WE'VE GOT EACH OTHER and was the voice of SPIDERWOMAN on that animated series. She has made guest appearances on VEGA$, THE NEW ADVENTURES OF WONDER WOMAN, THE LOVE BOAT, THE ROCKFORD FILES, RHODA and QUINCY, M.E.

Her motion picture-for-television credits include A TESTIMONY OF TWO MEN, THE LAST DINOSAUR, BIG ROSE, THE BIONIC BOY, THE JUDGE AND JAKE WYLER and THE RED FLAG. She has starred in one feature film, FROGS, appearing opposite Ray Milland. She won the role of VAL on DALLAS when the cast actress, CAROL LYNLEY, suddenly quit.

VAN ARK is an avid runner who routinely jogs 7 to 10 miles a day. Some of her other favorite diversions include horseback riding, skiing and collecting antiques. She and her husband, EMMY Award-winning KNBC news reporter JOHN MARSHALL, have a daughter, Vanessa, and live in Studio City, California.

Since KL closed its doors in 1993, JOAN has starred in several telemovies, including a KL Reunion, has guest-starred in series such as THE FRESH PRINCE OF BEL AIR, CYBILL, THE NANNY or THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, and has acted onstage in plays like THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES and A LOVELY SUNDAY FOR CREVE COEUR. Her latest movie is titled CHANNELS. She won 2 SOAP OPERA DIGEST AWARDS for her role of VAL.

"I could do another Reunion maybe, but not more, because I think I´m through with VAL and I have moved on. I played different women, funnier and stronger, who challenge me, and use other resources. I´m very fond of her, but we move on as actors and people."

Los mejores diálogos de VAL / VAL´s best quotes

- VAL: "Toda la vida he deseado ver el mar. Hasta cuando era pequeña, sabía que el mar era seguramente lo más gran de y hermoso que llegaría a ver. Pensaba que simplemente estar cerca de él me haría mejor; me haría pensar más claro, tener sentimientos más profundos y saber más cosas."

VAL: "All my life, I’d wanted to [see the ocean]. Even when I was little, I knew that the ocean would probably be the biggest and the most beautiful and most powerful thing I’d ever see. I thought just by being close to it, it would just make me better; make me think clearer and feel deeper and just know more." (to ANNE, in the PILOT, written by David Jacobs)

- VAL: "Éramos mi bebé y yo, y tú nos cerraste la puerta."

LILIMAE: "¿Cómo podía haberte dejado entrar? Si mi agente hubiera sabido que era abuela, todo habría acabado."

V.: "¿Qué habría acabado, tu maravillosa carrera? ¿Acaso había comenzado?"

L.: "Podía haber sido mi gran oportunidad. Casi lo fue."

V.: "Te dije que tenía problemas, mamá. Aquellos hombres me perseguían y, cuando no me dejaste entrar, me atraparon y se llevaron a mi hija a Tejas, con la familia de GARY. Entonces fui tras ellos, y cuando regresé a Tejas, ni siquiera me dejaron acercarme al rancho."

VAL: "It was me and my baby, and you turned us away."

LILIMAE: "How could I have let you in? If my manager had found out I was a grandmother, it would have been over."

V.: "What would have been over? Your wonderful career? When did that ever get started?"

L.: "It could have been my big break. It almost was."

V.: "I told you that I was in trouble, Mama. Those old boys were after me, and when you wouldn’t let me in, they caught me and they took my baby. They took her to Texas, to Gary’s folks. So I went back after her, and when I got back to Texas, those old boys wouldn’t let me near the ranch." (from WILL THE CIRCLE BE UNBROKEN, written by David Jacobs)

- VAL: "Te parece que sólo hemos tenido una riña sin importancia y que volverá a casa en cualquier momento con el rabo entre las piernas, con flores y bombones para mí. ¿No sabes lo que es un alcohólico? No vuelven a casa, no paran, siguen bebiendo una y otra vez..."

VAL: "You got some notion we just had a little tiff and he'll becoming home anytime wagging his tail behind him, bringing me flowers and candy. Don't you know what an alcoholic is? They don't come home, they don't stop! They just go on and on and on!" (to SID, in BOTTOM OF THE BOTTLE, written by CALVIN CLEMENTS, Jr.)

her Spanish voices / sus voces en España

Mª LUISA RUBIO, NÚRIA DOMÈNECH, ANA Mª SIMÓN, MONTSERRAT CARULLA y MARTA PADOVAN (Dallas y Califòrnia), Mª ANTONIA RODRÍGUEZ, ANA PLAZA, PALOMA ESCOLA, ANA SÁNCHEZ y PALOMA ESCOLA.

soon, Valene´s best quotes / pronto, los mejores diálogos de Valene

You can find Joan Van Ark´s complete filmography here.

We thank Billy Nolan for his kind collaboration.

Videos courtesy of the YouTube users (limited time).