Joanna Cassidy (born Joanna Virginia Caskey) is an American actress and former model. She began working as a model in the 1960s and made her professional acting debut in 1973, appearing in the thriller films The Laughing Policeman and The Outfit. She later starred in the films Bank Shot (1974) and The Late Show (1977), the short-lived television series The Roller Girls (1978), and 240-Robert (1979). In 1982, she played replicant Zhora Salome in the science-fiction film Blade Runner.
Cassidy starred in the political thriller film Under Fire (1983), winning a Sant Jordi Award for Best Actress in a Foreign Language Film and received a nomination for the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress. From 1983 to 1984, she starred opposite Dabney Coleman in the NBC comedy series Buffalo Bill, for which she received a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. She later starred in films The Fourth Protocol (1987), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) for which she received a Saturn Award nomination, The Package (1989), Where the Heart Is (1990), Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead (1991), Vampire in Brooklyn (1995), and Ghosts of Mars (2001).
Cassidy also starred in a number of made-for-television movies and miniseries, including Hollywood Wives (1983), Invitation to Hell (1984), Barbarians at the Gate (1993), and The Tommyknockers (1993). From 2001 to 2005, she played Margaret Chenowith on the HBO drama series Six Feet Under, for which she received both Primetime Emmy Award and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for her supporting turn on the hit series. From 2011 to 2013, she played Joan Hunt on the ABC series Body of Proof, and from 2010 to 2013 starred in the HBO Canada comedy series Call Me Fitz, for which she won two Canadian Screen Awards, as well as a nomination for a Gemini Award.
Biography Cassidy was born Joanna Virginia Caskey in Camden, New Jersey, across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, the daughter of Virginia and Joe Caskey. She was raised in Haddonfield, and attended Haddonfield Memorial High School, and has described herself as being "a rowdy kid" there. She is known for her infectious, howling laugh which can be heard in the film The Laughing Policeman and on her appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.Staff. "Joanna Cassidy at reunion remembers self as a rowdy kid", Lakeland Ledger, November 27, 1983. Accessed July 10, 2011. "Actress Joanna Cassidy, star of the movie Under Fire, remembers being 'a rowdy kid' at Haddonfield Memorial High School two decades ago."
Cassidy majored in art at Syracuse University. During her time there, she married Kennard C. Kobrin in 1963, a doctor in residency, and found work as a fashion model. They moved to San Francisco, where her husband set up a psychiatric practice, while Cassidy continued modeling. They had a son and a daughter together. In 1968, she landed a bit part in the thriller film Bullitt.
In June 2025, she reportedly is in a relationship with her former co-star Suzanne Somers' widower, Alan Hamel.
Career
Cassidy's first major film appearance was in the 1973 thriller The Outfit. She appeared in a 1973 Smokey Bear public service announcement,"If you knew it was me would you have listened?" US National Archives on YouTube (starting 1971, 4th video in clip-set): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HYkv7N7OLSU, start at 1m37s; see also year-dated PSAs and other-media overview at Ad Council's Smokey Bear website: https://smokeybear.com/en/smokeys-history?decade=1970 and on such television series as Mission: Impossible, Starsky & Hutch and Taxi. She had a secondary role in the drama film Stay Hungry (1976), a film about bodybuilding that featured a young Arnold Schwarzenegger. Cassidy was considered for the role of Wonder Woman for a television series, but lost it to Lynda Carter. She co-starred in the film Our Winning Season (1978). Her first regular role was as sheriff's pilot Morgan Wainwright in the action-adventure series 240-Robert (1979), although the series lasted for only two abbreviated seasons. Afterwards, Cassidy continued to appear in guest roles in series such as Dallas and Falcon Crest, as well as a regular role on the short-lived sitcom Buffalo Bill (1983) (for which she earned a Golden Globe Award). She starred as a lead character, CIA operative Liz "Foxfire" Towne, in the short-lived NBC action television series Code Name: Foxfire (1985).Joanna Cassidy biodata, yahoo.com; accessed November 30, 2014.
In 1982, Cassidy had her breakthrough film role as the replicant snake performer Zhora Salome in Ridley Scott's science-fiction film Blade Runner. The following year, she co-starred in Under Fire with Gene Hackman and Nick Nolte, earning her a Sant Jordi Award and a nomination for a National Society of Film Critics Award. She continued to appear in both films and television; she co-starred in the television miniseries Hollywood Wives (1985), and appeared in The Fourth Protocol (1987), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), 1969 (1988), The Package (1989), Where the Heart Is (1990) and Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead (1991). In 1993, she co-starred with Dudley Moore on the sitcom Dudley, but the series only lasted for six episodes. She played the ex-wife of James Garner's lead character in the television movie, The Rockford Files: I Still Love L.A. (1994).
Her other screen credits from this era include Barbarians at the Gate (1993), the miniseries adaptation of Stephen King's The Tommyknockers (1993), and Wes Craven's Vampire in Brooklyn (1995). Cassidy also provided the voice of Inspector Maggie Sawyer on The WB series Superman: The Animated Series, and had recurring guest roles on television series such as L.A. Law, Melrose Place, Diagnosis: Murder, and The District.
Since 2000, Cassidy has appeared in the film Ghosts of Mars (2001), directed by John Carpenter, and had a recurring role as Margaret Chenowith on the HBO drama series Six Feet Under, for which she received Emmy Award and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations. In 2004, she guest-starred in three episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise as T'Les (the Vulcan mother of Enterprise crewmember T'Pol), and she had a recurring role as Beverly Bridge on the series Boston Legal in 2006. She voiced the villainess Hecubah in the computer game Nox (2000) and once again voiced Maggie Sawyer in the 2002 video game Superman: Shadow of Apokolips.
In the spring of 2007, Cassidy donned Zhora's costume once more, 25 years after the release of Blade Runner, to recreate a climactic scene from the film for the autumn 2007 Final Cut release of the film. In the original 1982 release, a stunt performer played out Zhora's death scene, with the physical differences between the performer and Cassidy very evident (including the stuntwoman wearing a different wig). For the Final Cut, Cassidy's head was digitally transposed onto footage of the stunt performer, making the death scene fit continuity. According to the DVD featurette, All Our Variant Futures, Cassidy herself suggested this be done; she is captured on video making the suggestion during filming of a retrospective interview related to Blade Runner.All Our Variant Futures, a featurette in Blade Runner Five-Disc Complete Collector's Edition DVD set, 2007
In the second season of the NBC series Heroes, she is seen in a photo of the 12 senior members of the show's mysterious company. Beyond appearances in photographs, the actress first appeared as Victoria Pratt in the 10th episode of season two, "Truth & Consequences", during which her character was killed.
In 2008–2009, Cassidy appeared in episodes of Ghost Whisperer, Desperate Housewives, and Law & Order: UK, and was also seen in the recurring guest role of Amanda Hawthorne, the mother-in-law of Jada Pinkett Smith's eponymous character on the medical drama Hawthorne.
In 2011, Cassidy began to appear in a recurring role on the ABC series Body of Proof as Judge Joan Hunt, the mother of Megan Hunt, Dana Delany's character on the series. The series was canceled by ABC after three seasons in May 2013. In 2015, Cassidy was cast as a main character in the Bravo scripted series Odd Mom Out. She plays the role of Candace Von Weber, a snobbish Upper East Side socialite and mother-in-law to the show's protagonist Jill Weber (Jill Kargman). The series was canceled in 2017. In 2019, she co-starred in the Amazon Prime miniseries Too Old to Die Young and later had a recurring role on NCIS: New Orleans.
In 2015, Cassidy received an honorary award at the Oldenburg International Film Festival.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes1968Bullitt Party GuestUncredited1970FoolsMinor role1973 The Outfit Rita Mailer The Laughing Policeman Monica 1974 Bank Shot Eleonora 1975 The Cursed Medallion Joanna Morgan 1976 Stay Hungry Zoe Miller1977 Prime Time a.k.a. American Raspberry Lisa Allen The Late Show Laura Birdwell Stunts Patti Johnson 1978 Our Winning Season Sheila 1979 The Glove Sheila Michaels 1980 Night Games Julie Miller 1982 Blade Runner Zhora Salome 1983 Under Fire Claire Sant Jordi Award for Best Foreign ActressNominated - National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress 1984 Invitation to Hell Patricia "Pat" Winslow 1986 Club Paradise Terry Hamlin 1987 The Fourth Protocol Irina Vassilievna1988 Who Framed Roger Rabbit Dolores Nominated - Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress 1969 Ev Karr 1989 The Package Eileen Gallagher 1990 Where the Heart Is Jean McBain1991 Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead Rose Lindsey Lonely Hearts Erin Randall All-American Murder Erica Darby Video 1992 Landslide Lucy Matterson 1995 Vampire in Brooklyn Captain Dewey 1996 Chain Reaction Maggie McDermott1997 Loved Elenore Amerson Executive Power Elaine Fields - First Lady 1998 Dangerous Beauty Laura Venier2000 Moonglow Ginny The Right Temptation Maryanne2001 Ghosts of Mars Whitlock Anthrax Jackie Potter 2004 Intermission Love Short film 2005 Witches of the Caribbean Professor Avebury Video2006 The Virgin of Juarez Eve Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector Lily Micelli The Grudge 2 Mrs. Davis 2007 Kiss the Bride Evelyn Golski2008 The American Standards Ann Jennings The Human Contract Rose2009 Stolen Lea Adkins For Sale by Owner Linda Flannery2010 Flying Lessons Totty Kuspert Anderson's Cross Mrs. McCarthy 2011 Carjacked Betty 2012 What Might Have Been: Snake Dance Zhora Salome Short film2013 Zugzwang Nancy Williams Heaven's Door Ruth Christensen 2014 Night Vet Kelly Short film2015 Too Late Eleanor Mahler Visions Helena 2020 My True Fairytale Sylvia Goodwin 2021 Simone (AKA Art of Love) Rose the book store owner 2024Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead Fashion Show Buyer 2025Uppercut Rita StoothKilling Faith Maggie TBAYesteryear
Television