From Dallas to Chic: Joan Van Ark Unrecognizable Yet Iconic!
SPILLING THE TEA ON JOAN VAN ARK: THE ULTIMATE DALLAS ICON
Get ready for a blast from the past, folks! TheScholarlyNote.com has got the scoop on Joan Van Ark, the 82-year-old queen of the 80s soaps, who was spotted running errands with her dashing husband in Los Angeles. And let us tell you, she's still got it!
This glamour girl rose to fame as the stunning Valene Ewing on Dallas and its spin-off Knots Landing, where she reigned supreme for over 14 years. Her iconic character's tumultuous love life, which included three marriages to on-screen hubby Gary Ewing (played by Ted Shackelford), had viewers hooked.
But what you may not know is that Joan Van Ark has been a Hollywood fixture for over five decades! With a career spanning TV, film, and theater, she's had her fair share of ups and downs. Let's take a walk down memory lane and explore her fascinating journey.
Born in the Big Apple before moving to Colorado, Joan began her professional career on Broadway after graduating from Yale University. She made her debut in 1966 in Barefoot in the Park, starring alongside Robert Morse and Alice Ghostley. Talk about a dream come true!
But it was in the 1970s that Van Ark's star really took off. She co-starred with Bette Davis in two TV movies, The Judge and Jake Wyler (1972), and even appeared as Erika in MASH* in 1973. Her resume from this era is a veritable Who's Who of the decade: Bonanza, Night Gallery, The Six Million Dollar Man, Petrocelli, Quincy, Kojak, Barnaby Jones, Rhoda, Medical Center, Cannon, and The Rockford Files – to name just a few!
Van Ark also had her own sitcoms, Temperatures Rising (1972-73) and We've Got Each Other (1977-78), not to mention a string of TV movies that showcased her versatility. Her early hits included Frogs (1972), The Last Dinosaur (1977), My First Love (1988), Shakedown on Sunset Strip (1988), and Tainted Blood (1993).
Of course, no discussion of Joan Van Ark's career would be complete without mentioning Knots Landing, where she played the iconic Valene Ewing from 1979 to 1992. With over 327 episodes under her belt, Van Ark became synonymous with the show. And let's just say, her on-screen marriage to Gary Ewing was the stuff of tabloid dreams!
In a recent interview with Remind Magazine, Van Ark gushed about one of her favorite Knots Landing storylines – the kidnapping and subsequent return of her twin children. "The only time Knots ever went to No. 1 was when Val got her twins back," she revealed. "I will never forget that. We had Michele [Lee, Karen] there. Julie [Harris, Lilimae Clements], too. She was the love of my life."
But what about Van Ark's return for the series finale? Given that Valene was presumed dead, many fans wondered how she managed to come back to the show. In a candid conversation with TheScholarlyNote.com (ahem!), Van Ark shared: "I don't remember how that exactly came about, but I was with the William Morris Agency at the time, and they called me in the middle of whatever I was working on, and they said they want you to come back for an episode."
Van Ark's reunion with her Knots Landing co-stars wasn't limited to just the series finale. She also appeared in the 2005 reunion special Knots Landing Reunion: Together Again, which brought together many of the show's beloved characters.
In recent years, Van Ark has remained active in Hollywood, lending her voice to animated shows like Doom Patrol (2019) and Curious George (2021). Her last on-screen appearance was in 2017, co-starring in the TV movie Psycho Wedding Crasher.
So there you have it – a taste of Joan Van Ark's fascinating life and career. From Broadway starlet to soap opera icon, she's left an indelible mark on our collective pop culture consciousness. And let's be real, folks – we can't wait for her next big role!
PHOTO CAPTION: Joan Van Ark looks every inch the glamour girl as she runs errands with her husband in Los Angeles.
