Joan Van Ark | 06/16/1943 | 78

As of 2021, Joan Van Ark is already 78 years old as she was born on June 16, 1943. Throughout her long life, she has done so much and inspired many from her works. Her career started in the 1960s but became notable for the soap opera in primetime called Knots Landing, a spin-off of another long-running series Dallas. The show lasted for 14 seasons, but Joan reprises her role of Valene Ewing Gibson Waleska for 13 consecutive seasons. However, before being a mainstay in the show, she honed her skills in Broadway by acting in small production plays. Surprisingly, these include the likes of Barefoot in the Park and The School for Wives, with the latter responsible for a Tony Award.

Outside showbiz, she is the wife of John Marshall, a news reporter, and a mother to a single child, Vanessa Marshall, who also has an investment in the same industry as her parents.