Since her Broadway debut in the 1977 musical hit by Cy Coleman "I Love My Wife", Joanna Gleason has won acclaim for the forthright intelligence of her performances and the elegant grace she brings to her roles. She was the critical friend of the parents of a spastic child in "A Day in the Death of Joe Egg" (1985); the Baker's Wife, who movingly yearns for a child in the Stephen Sondheim-James Lapine musical "Into the Woods" (1987), for which she won a Tony Award; and the feminine half of the famed sleuthing team in the disappointing, short-lived 1991 musical "Nick and Nora".
Gleason's film roles, though few and small, have been notable, especially as the embarrassed wife of Woody Allen and Mia Farrow's prospective sperm-donor (Tony Roberts) in Allen's "Hannah and Her Sisters" (1986) and as Woody Allen's indifferent wife in "Crimes and Misdemeanors" (1989). She also had a brief but memorable turn as Mark Wahlberg's unhappy mother in "Boogie Nights" (1997). Gleason's first break on the small screen was in a regular role on the sitcom "Hello, Larry" (NBC, 1979-81), about a radio show host who gives on-air romantic advice. She went on to appear in several specials, including recreating her role from "Into the Woods" for PBS' "American Playhouse" series in 1991. Gleason landed a regular role on the CBS sitcom "Love & War" (1992-95), as Nadine Berkus, a waitress wannabe who has fled her suburban housewife existence and jailbird husband to make a life of her own. With pretensions to upgrading the restaurant, she brought a daffy elegance to a character who seemed perpetually on the make. She returned to series TV with a 1996 recurring role as a love interest of Dr. Mark Greene (Anthony Edwards) on the hit NBC drama "ER".
Family
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Brother: Richard David Hall.
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Father: Monty Hall. born August 25, 1923 in Winnipeg, Canada; created, produced, and hosted TV game show, Let s Make a Deal (1963-1990)
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Mother: Marilyn Doreen Hall.
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Sister: Sharon Fay Hall.
Education
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University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
Milestones
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1972 Stage debut in productions of Promises, Promises with the Long Beach and San Francisco Light Opera companies
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1974 Starred opposite Stacy Keach in Hamlet at the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles
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1977 Broadway debut in the musical, I Love My Wife
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1979 TV series debut as Morgan Winslow in Hello, Larry (NBC)
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1980 Regular on TV game show, Chain Reaction
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1982 Moved to NYC
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1983 TV-movie debut, Still the Beaver
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1985 Returned to Broadway to act in a revival of the play, A Day in the Death of Joe Egg/Joe Egg
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1986 Film debut as group therapy member in Heartburn
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1987 Received considerable acclaim on Broadway as the Baker s Wife in the Stephen Sondheim-James Lapine musical, Into the Woods ; won Tony Award as Best Actress in a Musical
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1991 Starred on Broadway opposite Barry Bostwick in the problem-plagued and ultimately short-lived musical, Nick and Nora
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1996 Had a recurring role on ER (NBC)
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1997 Co-starred with Debi Mazar in the short-lived CBS sitcom Temporarily Yours
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1997 Had feature role as the mother of Mark Wahlberg in Boogie Nights
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1998 Co-starred in the Lifetime sitcom Oh Baby
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2000 Portrayed the manager and best friend of Bette Midler in the CBS fall sitcom Bette
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2001 Had featured role in The Wedding Planner starring Jennifer Lopez
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2005 Starred in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels the Broadway musical adapted from the 1988 movie starring Michael Caine and Steve Martin; earned a Tony nomination for her role
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Hosted Personal Side , a cable-TV talk show on which she interviewed 13 actresses during the 1980s
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Played regular role of Nadine on the CBS sitcom, Love & War