Joanna Hall Gleason Sarandon (born June 2, 1950)Dodge, Ellin (1986). You Are Your Birthday. New York: Simon and Schuster. p. 204. . is a Canadian actress, known for her performances in theatrical musicals and plays, and on film and television.
In theatre, Gleason originated the role of the Baker's Wife in Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Into the Woods on Broadway, for which she won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical in 1988. She also received Tony nominations for her performances in A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (1985) and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (2005). Her notable film appearances include supporting roles in Woody Allen's Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) and Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989), and Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights (1997). On television she has appeared in ER, Friends, The West Wing, The Good Wife and The Affair.
Early life Gleason is the daughter of Monty and Marilyn Hall. By the time of her birth, her father was working for Toronto radio stations and had changed his name from "" to "Hall". He later started a television career and went on to fame as host of Let's Make a Deal.
Hall graduated from Beverly Hills High School (BHHS) in 1968. She was in the school's productions of The Music Man, The Mikado, The Grass Harp, and The Madwoman of Chaillot. In high school, Gleason received acting instruction from John Ingle, later known as Edward Quartermaine on General Hospital, who taught at BHHS from 1955 to 1985. She continued her education at UCLA, then Occidental College, from which she graduated. Gleason has been a teacher herself, holding classes and workshops all over the country.
Career Theatre Gleason made her professional debut in Promises, Promises in 1972. Five years later she debuted on Broadway, originating the role of Monica in Cy Coleman and Michael Stewart's I Love My Wife (1977), for which she was honored with a Theatre World Award.
Gleason returned to Broadway in 1984 to appear in Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing, as a replacement for the role of Charlotte originated by Christine Baranski. In 1985 she played Pam in a revival of Peter Nichols' A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, for which she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Play and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play. She won the Drama Desk Award in the same category the following year for her performances off-Broadway as Virginia in Terrence McNally's It's Only a Play and Trudy in Andrew Bergman's Social Security.
Gleason had her greatest success as the original Baker's Wife in Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine, firstly at the Old Globe Theatre, San Diego in 1986, before transferring to Broadway the following year. The New York Times, although somewhat critical of the production, described her as "wonderful," and she won both the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical (presented by her co-star Bernadette Peters) and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical. Her performance was captured on the original cast recording and in a filmed version broadcast on the PBS anthology series Great Performances.
In 1991 Gleason played the lead role of Nora Charles in Arthur Laurents, Charles Strouse and Richard Maltby Jr.'s Nick & Nora, a musical adaptation of The Thin Man that encountered numerous troubles in previews and closed after only nine performances. As Muriel in the musical adaptation of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (2005), she was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. The following year she played Titsiana in Douglas Carter Beane's The Cartells, a staged soap opera in which the New York Times deemed her "hilarious."
In 2007, Gleason was honored by the New England Theatre Conference with a Special Award for Achievement in Theatre.
Film and television In 1979, Gleason was cast as supporting character Morgan in the television sitcom Hello, Larry starring McLean Stevenson; the series ran for two seasons but was poorly received. In the 1983 television movie Still the Beaver, she played Beaver's ex-wife Kimberly.
Gleason debuted on film in 1986, with roles in Woody Allen's Hannah and Her Sisters (as Carol) and Mike Nichols' Heartburn (as Diana). She worked with Allen again in Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989), playing Wendy, the wife of Allen's character. She has since appeared in numerous films including F/X2 (1991), Mr. Holland's Opus (1995), The Wedding Planner (2001), and Sex and the City (2004). She played the memorable role of Dirk's mother opposite Mark Wahlberg in Paul Thomas Anderson's Boogie Nights (1997).
On television, Gleason played the role of Nadine Berkus on the show Love & War (1992–95), several episodes of which she also directed, and Joan Silver on Temporarily Yours (1997). She starred in the Lifetime series Oh Baby as Charlotte from 1998 to 2000, also directing episodes of this show. Shortly following the end of this series, she starred opposite Bette Midler on Bette as agent Connie Randolph. She appeared in six episodes of the Canadian black comedy series Sensitive Skin as Veronica, from 2014 to 2016.
Gleason's numerous guest starring television credits include episodes of The West Wing, The Practice, King of the Hill, Friends, Password Plus, Tracey Takes On..., Murphy Brown, ER, The Outer Limits, The Good Wife, Blue Bloods and The Newsroom.
Personal life Gleason has been married three times. She was married to acting coach Paul G. Gleason. She kept his surname professionally, although they divorced on June 28, 1982. Later, she married Michael Bennahum.
Gleason has been married to actor Chris Sarandon since 1994. The two met while performing in Broadway's short-lived 1991 musical Nick & Nora, returned to the stage together in Thorn and Bloom (1998), and collaborated on several films, such as Road Ends, Edie & Pen, Let the Devil Wear Black, and American Perfekt.
Gleason's siblings are television writer/director Sharon Hall Kessler and Emmy award-winning television writer/director Richard Hall.
Acting credits Film Year Title Role Notes1986 Hannah and Her Sisters Carol 1986 Heartburn Diana 1989 Crimes and Misdemeanors Wendy Stern 1991 F/X2 Liz Kennedy 1995 Mr. Holland's Opus Governor Gertrude Lang 1996 Edie & Pen Maudie 1997 American Perfekt Shirley 1997 Boogie Nights Dirk's Mother 1997 Road Ends Armacost 1999 Let the Devil Wear Black Dr. Rona Hackley 2001 The Wedding Planner Mrs. Donolly 2006 Wedding Daze Lois 2007 The Girl in the Park Sarah 2008 Sex and the City Therapist 2008 My Sassy Girl Kitty/Aunt Sally 2008 The Women Barbara 2009 The Rebound Roberta Finklestein 2013 Last Vegas Miriam Harris 2014 The Skeleton Twins Judy
Television Year Title Role Notes1979 Diff'rent Strokes Morgan Winslow 3 episodes1979–80 Hello, Larry 37 episodes1981 Bosom Buddies Faith Crane Episode: "What Price Glory?"1982 Love, Sidney Gail Episode: "The Activist"1983 The New Leave It to Beaver Kimberly Episode: "Still the Beaver"1983 Great Day Jennifer Simpson Television movie 1991 Into the Woods Baker's Wife Televised Broadway performance1991 The Boys Marie Television movie1992 For Richer, for Poorer Irene Television movie1992–95 Love & War Nadine Berkus 67 episodes1993 Born Too Soon Annemarie Television movie1994 For the Love of Aaron Shirley Television movie1996 The Outer Limits Leslie Episode: "Inconstant Moon"1996 ER Iris 3 episodes1996 If These Walls Could Talk Julia (segment: 1974) Television movie 1996–98 Tracey Takes On... Katherine Hawkins LeAnne the Stewardess 2 episodes1997 Adventures from the Book of Virtues Delia Young Voice; Episode: "Generosity"1997 Temporarily Yours Joan Silver 6 episodes1997 Perversions of Science Mrs. Rabe Episode: "Anatomy Lesson" 1997 Murphy Brown Athena Gillington Episode: "Petty Woman" 1997–2004 King of the Hill Various Roles Voice; 8 episodes1998 George and Leo Teacher Episode: "The Teacher"1999 Friends Kim Clozzi 2 episodes1998–2000 Oh Baby Charlotte St. John 28 episodes2000–01 Bette Connie Randolph 18 episodes2001 The Practice Henrietta Lightstone 2 episodes2001–02 The West Wing Jordon Kendall 5 episodes2005 Fathers and Sons Silvia Television movie2009–12 The Good Wife Judge Carmella Romano 3 episodes2010 How to Make It in America Ben's Mother Episode: "Paper, Denim + Dollars"2010 Delocated Dr. Mitchell Episode: Conversions 2011 Royal Pains Evelyn Woodward Episode: Rash Talk2013 Blue Bloods Grace Newhouse 2 episodes2014 The Newsroom Nancy Skinner Episode: "What Kind of Day Has It Been"2014–16 Sensitive Skin Veronica 6 episodes2015 The Affair Yvonne 3 episodes2019 Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Janice Hoffman Episode: "Kimmy is in a Love Square!"2021 The Bite Veruca Dumont 3 episodes2022 The Good Fight Judge Carmella Romano 1 episode2026 Elsbeth Maura Davidoff season 3 episode 16 "Murder, He Wrote"
Theatre Year Title Role Theatre Notes1972 Fiddler on the Roof TzeitelDrake, Sylvie. "LBCLO Presents Fiddler," Los Angeles Times, June 6, 1972. Long Beach Civic Light Opera, Regional 1974 Hamlet OpheliaDrake, Sylvie. "For Joanna Gleason, It's a Very Clear Day," Los Angeles Times, July 29, 1980. Mark Taper Forum, Regional Understudy1975 All My Sons Ann DeeverSullivan, Dan. "Mother Knows Best in 'All My Sons,'" Los Angeles Times, January 17, 1975. Huntington Hartford Theatre, Regional 1975 How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Rosemary Long Beach Civic Light Opera, Regional Understudy1977–78 I Love My Wife Monica Ethel Barrymore Theatre, Broadway 1980 On a Clear Day You Can See Forever Daisy Gamble/Melinda Regional Tour 1984 A Hell of a Town n/a Westside Theatre, Off-Broadway 1984 The Real Thing Charlotte Plymouth Theatre, Broadway Replacement1985 A Day in the Death of Joe Egg Pam Haft Theater, Off-Broadway 1985 Longacre Theatre, Broadway 1985–86 It's Only a Play Virginia Noyles New York City Center Stage I, Off-Broadway 1986 Social Security Trudy Heyman Ethel Barrymore Theatre, Broadway 1986–87 Into the Woods The Baker's Wife Old Globe Theatre, Regional 1987–88 Martin Beck Theatre, Broadway 19891989 Eleemosynary Artie New York City Center Stage II, Off-Broadway 1991 Nick & Nora Nora Charles Marquis Theatre, Broadway 1997 Into the Woods The Baker’s Wife Broadway Theatre, Broadway 10th Anniversary Concert2004 The Normal Heart Dr. Emma Brookner Anspacher Theater, Off-Broadway 2004 Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Muriel Eubanks Old Globe Theatre, Regional 2005–06 Imperial Theatre, Broadway 2008 Something You Did Alison 59E59 Theaters, Off-Broadway 2009 Happiness Arlene Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater, Off-Broadway 2010 Into the Woods The Giant's Wife Diablo Theatre Company, Regional Pre-recorded voiceover 2011 Sons of the Prophet Gloria Huntington Theatre Company, Regional 2011–12 Laura Pels Theatre, Off-Broadway 2022 Anyone Can Whistle Narrator Carnegie Hall ConcertInto the Woods The Giant's Wife Big Noise Theatre Company, Regional Pre-recorded voiceover 2025 We Had a World Renee Manhattan Theatre Club
Awards and nominations YearAwardCategoryProject Result1985Tony Award Best Featured Actress in a Play A Day in the Death of Joe Egg 1988 Best Leading Actress in a Musical Into the Woods 2005 Best Featured Actress in a Musical Dirty Rotten Scoundrels 1985Drama Desk AwardOutstanding Featured Actress in a Play Joe Egg 1986 It's Only a Play Social Security 1988 Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Into the Woods 2005 Dirty Rotten Scoundrels 1988 Outer Critics Circle Awards Outstanding Actress in a Musical Into the Woods 2005 Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Dirty Rotten Scoundrels 2012 Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Sons of the Prophet 1977 Theatre World Award I Love My Wife
References
External links
Joanna Gleason – Downstage Center interview at American Theatre Wing.org TonyAwards.com Interview with Joanna Gleason BroadwayWorld: Holtzman's 'Something You Did' Premieres Off-Bway with Gleason