Joan Van Ark Net Worth

Joan Van Ark's Quotes

• [on why it's time for another Knots Landing (1979) reunion show] They want to see if we're in wheelchairs and walkers yet.
• [When her series' star and best friend Michele Lee, who played Karen Fairgate MacKenzie, became a director on Knots Landing (1979)]: She just sort of picked, cause Michele has the director vibe in her, and she just picked some scenes that, you know, were just - not generic - but signature Knots kind of scenes, and I was just in awe of the work. I mean, there was one that I did see because I watched the first maybe fifteen minutes of the reunion, and there was a scene where I got married to Ben where Ted said, 'May I kiss the bride?'
• [on a long-running prime-time soap opera]: What I'm surprised at this time around is how emotional it's been. And I'm getting all verklempt even now.
• [on her religion]: I'm Presbyterian and I don't go to church very much.
• When you're on a long running series, you reach a very rarefied, high oxygen area and after a while to keep a show on the air they have to make some very drastic changes.

Interesting Facts about Joan Van Ark

1. Was a Weakest Link (2001) contestant and was voted off.
2. Gave birth to her daughter Vanessa Marshall on 19 October 1969.
3. Runs marathons and is something of a Track and Field historian.
4. Was the second youngest student to attend Yale School of Drama on a scholarship, the youngest was Julie Harris, later playing her mother on Knots Landing (1979).
5. Has two brothers, Dexter J. Van Ark and Mark Clark Van Ark.
6. Sister of Carol Kuykendall.
7. Was nominated for Broadway's 1971 Tony Award as Best Supporting or Featured Actress (Dramatic) for "The School for Wives."
8. She has appeared with Ted Shackelford in episodes of four different series: Wonder Woman (1975), Dallas (1978), Knots Landing (1979) and Dallas (2012).
9. Born to Carroll Van Ark, who worked in advertising and public relations, and his wife Dorothy Jean Hemenway, a writer.
10. Friend of Jane Kaczmarek and Asaad Kelada.
11. Her name is literally "Joan of Ark" in Dutch.
12. Grew up in Boulder, Colorado.
13. Her paternal grandfather was of Dutch descent.
14. Best known by the public for her role as Valene Clements Ewing on Knots Landing (1979).
15. Ex-mother-in-law of Andrew Kishino.
16. Friends with: Barbara Bel Geddes, Larry Hagman, Patrick Duffy, Michele Lee, Donna Mills, Kevin Dobson, Susan Sullivan, Lorenzo Lamas, Sharon Gless and Larry Manetti.
17. She has played the same character (Valene Ewing) on three different series: Dallas (1978), Knots Landing (1979) and Dallas (2012).
18. Replaced Marlo Thomas (who broke her ankle) at the request of Richard Benjamin in the London stage production (Piccadilly Theatre) of Barefoot in the Park.
19. Before she was a successful actress, as an unfamiliar/struggling actress, she worked with everybody in the business from: James Drury, Michael Landon, Burt Reynolds, Telly Savalas, Buddy Ebsen, James Arness, James Garner, Frances Reid, Raymond Burr, William Conrad, Bette Davis, Chuck Connors, Lee Majors, Barbara Bel Geddes, Larry Hagman, among many others.
20. Met Kevin Dobson on the set of Kojak (1973), in 1977, and became close friends. They worked together on _'Knots Landing'_.