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Joan Allen Biography (1956-)

Born August 20, 1956, in Rochelle, IL; daughter of Jeff (a gas station operator) and Dorothy Allen; married Peter Friedman (an actor), January 1, 1990 (separated, 2002); children: Sadie. Addresses: Agent: ICM, 8942 WilshireBlvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211; 40 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019.; Publicist: PMK/HBH, 700 San Vicente Blvd., Suite G910, West Hollywood, CA 90069.

Nationality

American

Gender

Female

Occupation

Actress, producer

Birth Details

August 20, 1956

Rochelle, Illinois, United States

Famous Works

• CREDITS
• Stage Appearances
• Exit the King, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago, IL, 1978
• (Off-Broadway debut) Helen Stott, And a Nightingale Sang, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, then Mitzi E. Newhouse Theatre, New York City, later Hartford Stage Company, Hartford, CT, all 1983
• Bette, The Marriage of Bette and Boo, New York Shakespeare Festival, Public Theatre, New York City, 1985
• Anna Mann, Burn This, Centre Theatre Group, Mark Taper Forum, LosAngeles Music Center, Los Angeles, CA, then Plymouth Theatre, New York City,both 1987
• Dr. Heidi Holland, The Heidi Chronicles, Playwrights Horizons Theatre, New York City, 1988, then Plymouth Theatre, 1989
• Also appeared in Balm in Gilead, Steppenwolf Theatre Company; Cloud 9, Steppenwolf Theatre Company; Earthly Possessions, Steppenwolf Theatre Company; The Fifth of July, Steppenwolf Theatre Company; A Lesson from Aloes, Steppenwolf Theatre Company; The Miss Firecracker Contest, Steppenwolf Theatre Company; Reckless, Steppenwolf Theatre Company; Three Sisters, Steppenwolf Theatre Company; and Marathon '86.
• Film Appearances
• Mary Alice Mahoney, Compromising Positions, Paramount, 1985
• Reba McClane, Manhunter (also known as Red Dragon: The Pursuitof Hannibal Lecter), De Laurentis Entertainment Group, 1986
• Maddy Nagle, Peggy Sue Got Married, TriStar, 1986
• Vera Tucker, Tucker: The Man and His Dream, Paramount, 1988
• Irene, In Country, Warner Bros., 1989
• Bonnie Waitzkin, Searching for Bobby Fischer (also known as Innocent Moves), Paramount, 1993
• Caroline Whitney, Josh and S.A.M., Columbia, 1993
• Zenobia "Zeena" Frome, Ethan Frome, Miramax, 1993
• Margaret Roberts, Mad Love, Buena Vista, 1995
• Pat Nixon, Nixon, Buena Vista, 1995
• Elizabeth Proctor, The Crucible, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1996
• Eve Archer, Face/Off (also known as Face Off), Paramount, 1997
• Elena Hood, The Ice Storm, Fox Searchlight, 1997
• Betty Parker, Pleasantville, New Line Cinema, 1998
• Helen Harding, All the Rage (also known as It's the Rage),New City Releasing, 1999
• Sinead Hamilton, When the Sky Falls, Trimark Pictures, 2000
• Senator Laine Hanson, The Contender (also known as Rufmord-jenseits der moral), DreamWorks, 2000
• Herself, Under the Hood: Making "Tucker" (documentary), ParamountHome Video, 2000
• Herself, The Contender: The Making of a Political Thriller (documentary), DreamWorks Home Entertainment, 2001
• Arlene Groden, Off the Map, Manhattan Pictures International, 2003
• Anne Hamilton, The Notebook, New Line Cinema, 2004
• Pamela Landy, The Bourne Supremacy (also known as Die Bourne verschworung), Universal, 2004
• She, Yes, Sony Pictures Classics, 2004
• Terry Wolfmeyer, The Upside of Anger, New Line Cinema, 2005
• Pushers Needed, Arclight Films, 2005
• Film Work
• Coproducer, Pushers Needed, Arclight Films, 2005
• Television Appearances
• Miniseries
• Iris Friedman, Evergreen, NBC, 1985
• Voice, New York: A Documentary Film (documentary; also known as American Experience: New York--A Documentary Film), PBS, 1999
• Morgause, The Mists of Avalon (also known as Die nebel von Avalon), TNT, 2001
• Movies
• Ellie, The Room Upstairs, CBS, 1987
• Sarah Brady, Without Warning: The James Brady Story (also known asThe James Brady Story and Thumbs Up), HBO, 1991
• Specials
• Say Goodnight, Gracie, Chicago Public Television, 1983
• Ann Deever, "All My Sons," American Playhouse, PBS, 1987
• The 50th Annual Tony Awards, 1996
• The 69th Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 1997
• The 2000 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards, Fox, 2000
• The 7th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, TNT, 2001
• Presenter, The 2001 IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards (also knownas The 16th Annual IFP/West Independent Spirit Awards), Independent Film Channel, 2001
• The 73rd Annual Academy Awards, ABC, 2001
• Voice, War Letters (documentary), PBS, 2001
• The Big Show (also known as The Big Show: Toronto InternationalFilm Festival), CBC, 2001
• The 55th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 2001
• Jeff Bridges: Building Bridges (documentary), Arts and Entertainment, 2002
• Presenter, AFI Awards, CBS, 2002
• Episodic
• Sally Dobbs, "Shelter Skelter," The Twilight Zone, CBS, 1987
• Guest caller Lydia, "High Crane Drifter," Frasier, NBC, 1995
• Late Show with David Letterman, 1996
• The Rosie O'Donnell Show, 1997
• Host, Saturday Night Live, NBC, 1998
• Mrs. Frost, "Robert Frost," Voices and Visions PBS, 2000
• The View, ABC, 2002
• RECORDINGS
• Taped Readings
• Another Country: The Emotional Terrain of Our Elders by Mary Pipher, S&S Audio, 1999
• Blessings by Anna Quindlen, 2002
• If You Take a Mouse to School by Laura Numeroff, HarperCollins/Geringer, 2003
• The Sunday Wife by Cassandra King, Hyperion Audiobooks, 2003
• Read My Antonia by Willa Cather and Unless by Carol Shields.

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Books

• Newsmakers 1998, Issue 1, Gale, 1998

Periodicals

• Back Stage West, January 28, 1999, p. 6
• Entertainment Weekly, December 22, 1995, p. 43; January 17, 1997,p. 27; March 21, 1997, p. 44; October 10, 1997, p. 34; February 23, 2001, p.38
• Interview, October, 2000, p. 200
• Nation, May 1, 1989, p. 605
• National Review, February 12, 1996, p. 57
• New Republic, December 16, 1996, p. 30
• People Weekly, August 22, 1988, p. 15; September 25, 1989, p. 16;June 17, 1991, p. 11; August 16, 1993, p. 17
• Playboy, December, 1992, p. 20
• Time, August 9, 2004, p. 88
• Us, March, 1996, p. 101