With “Dallas” and “Knots Landing,” Joan Van Ark gained fame, but it is her 57-year marriage and daughter that she is most proud of…

In the latter half of the 1970s, Joan Van Ark rose to fame as a result of her part in the very successful soap opera “Knots Landing.” After being overlooked for the prom in high school, the celebrity made the decision to pursue a profession in acting for the first time. Soon after, Van Ark had the opportunity to meet actress Julie Harris when she conducted an interview with her for the school newspaper. Harris encouraged Van Ark to submit an application to the Yale School of Drama. She paid attention, and as a result of Harris’s suggestion, she was awarded a scholarship to attend the elite college. Van Ark was just the second female student to attend the school after Harris, and she was the only female student there while she was there. Harris was the first female student to attend the institution.

Molière, a French writer, was the inspiration for Van Ark’s first performance, “The Miser,” which took place at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. Her first performance on Broadway was in 1966, the same year that she joined the Barefoot in the Park group, which was then touring the country. Soon after, Van Ark made the transition to the small screen, appearing in films and television shows such as “Spider-Woman” and “Days of Our Lives.” It was in 1971 for her performance as Agnès in the production of “The School for Wives” that she was nominated for her first Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play. In 1978, Van Ark was given her breakout role on the television show “Dallas” when she was cast in the role of Valene Ewing. After then, she continued to play the same part as the main character in the spin-off series “Knots Landing” for a total of 13 seasons and 327 episodes.

Van Ark has kept a low profile in recent years, preferring to live a quiet life with her husband of 57 years instead of appearing in public. Despite this, she was seen going about her business in Los Angeles in May 2022, three years after her last known public appearance and only a few days before her birthday. Keep reading to learn more about the actress’s life, including her recent marriage.

Van Ark is perhaps best recognized for her work on the television shows “Dallas” and “Knots Landing,” but she came perilously close to being passed over for both roles. She said to Express that she had a “three-way clash” when it came time for her to audition for the position since she already had an appearance on “The Love Boat” and a commercial for Estée Lauder scheduled.

“I got the call asking me to do a guest appearance in this show called ‘Dallas,’ which was attracting a lot of buzz, but I said to my husband, ‘John, why should I even read this script?’ “I got the call asking me to do a guest appearance in this show called ‘Dallas,’ which was attracting a lot of buzz. I am unable to be in three locations at the same time. After that, he read it and then told her, “No, you have to do it.” It seems to be in great shape,'” she recalled.

She said that she was “so glad I listened to him” as Van Ark extended his time on the show from two episodes as a guest star to 15 years. The television series “Knots Landing” aired from 1979 through 1993 and followed the eventful lives of the people who lived in a fictitious cul-de-sac in Southern California. The connections that Valene, played by Van Ark, had were notoriously difficult to understand and navigate. She made her first appearance on the show as the wife of Gary Ewing, portrayed by Ted Shackelford, although the couple’s marriage was fraught with difficulties from the beginning. Throughout the course of the series, Valene’s character went through substantial changes, such as being divorced, getting remarried, and going through a variety of other personal struggles.

In 1992, Van Ark decided to leave the program, and the following year, it was discontinued. As for the reasons why she decided to leave, the actress has said that she wanted to explore other hobbies since it is never a good thing for an artist to feel too comfortable in their work.

“I could stay on the show forever and be safe,” she said at one point.

Van Ark has made guest appearances on a number of well-known television programs, including “The Young and the Restless” and “Nip/Tuck,” despite the fact that she has never again found a part as significant as the one she played on “Knots Landing.”

In the meanwhile, Van Ark’s marriage has bucked the standard in Hollywood by continuing for 57 years, during which time she has been married to the same man. In Boulder, Colorado, where they both attended high school, the famous actress and her future husband, John Marshall, first crossed paths. 1966 was the year that the high school sweethearts tied the knot in Germany.

Surprisingly, both Van Ark and her TV character, Valene, made the same decision when it came to picking a husband, despite the fact that the actress insisted that each of their marriages were very different.

In an interview with UPI in 1985, she said, “Believe me, it was nothing like the marriages (Valene Ewing) has gone through,” about her own marriage.

After the birth of Van Ark and John’s daughter and only child, Vanessa Marshall, in 1969, John decided to leave his position as a TV anchor in order to pursue a career as a journalist and have more time to spend with his wife and daughter. Fortunately, he was also successful in his professional life and eventually won an Emmy for his work as a newsman. When Van Ark was having trouble juggling parenting with a successful career in show business, she would often talk about how her husband had to give up his profession in order to focus on raising their daughter.

In 1988, Van Ark said the following to The Leader-Post:

“Because of him, we have the most beautiful daughter in the world, and because of him, our marriage has remained strong all these years. I get the impression that I am the dedicated one who is unable to give up time for this or that.

Following in her mother’s footsteps, Vanessa is now a well-known voice-over artist who has provided her voice to animated films, video games, and television programs. Her mother was also a voice-over artist. The gifted artist who has amassed a following on Instagram and who provided their voice for Hera in “Star Wars” also provided their voice for the animated version of “Harley Quinn” on HBO Max.

In May 2023, just a few days before she was 80 years old, Van Ark emerged from her isolation, much to the amazement of many people. After being absent from public view for three years, the actress emerged from her automobile in Los Angeles in order to perform some errands. She accessorized her knee-high cowboy boots, which were white and knee-length, with a white long-sleeved shirt and gray tights. Her blond hair was around shoulder length, and it was tied back into a ponytail.

Unfortunately, Van Ark has received a lot of backlash due to the numerous failed cosmetic surgery that she has had. According to a source who spoke to GLOBE in the year 2020, Van Ark has always struggled with her self-image and self-esteem, and over the years, these issues have only become worse.

According to the source, “She never truly liked the way she looked, even in her youth in the 1980s, and once she had money to burn she tried to make herself pretty by having plastic surgery.”

On social media, followers have also expressed their disapproval with the star’s appearance and aired their complaints. Many people commented their thoughts below a tweet that showcased the actress from “Tainted Blood” in her most recent appearances. “She’s had years and years and years of major ‘work’ done, and it looks like it,” said the doctor. “It looks like it.” “They can’t stand to age naturally because they lose roles, but they also don’t get them looking like this,” a fan stated. “They can’t get them looking like this either.”

An further supporter expressed their disbelief by writing, “Come on, that has got to be massively photoshopped up,” while a third admirer bemoaned, “You know your (sic) ruining my childhood.”

On Facebook, comments were left beneath a photo of Van Ark and another cast member to express the opinions of the actress’s devoted followers. A admirer who was truly interested wanted to know, “What happened to her?”

Van Ark maintains in public that she is unaffected by the comments made about her appearance and gives the impression that she is concentrating on her life with her husband and adorable kid.