Biography
Who is Joan Severance?
Early life and background
Joan Marie Severance was born in Houston, Texas. Her father worked as an IBM systems manager, which required the family to relocate frequently across the globe. By the time Joan reached the age of eleven, she had resided in twelve different locations. During this period, the family lived in Libya, but they were forced to flee in 1967 due to the Six-Day War. Upon returning to the United States, the family settled in Houston.
Joan Severance attended Westbury High School. At age fifteen, she began her modeling work to generate funds for college tuition, as she initially hoped to pursue a career as a veterinarian. A local photographer named Alan Martin discovered her after she participated in the Miss Houston beauty contest. Martin introduced her to John Casablancas, who secured her a contract with Elite Model Management and sent her to Paris for professional assignments.
Modeling career highlights
While working in Paris, Joan appeared in publications such as Vogue Paris and Sportswear International. After moving back to the United States, she became a prominent model, appearing in more than forty television commercials. Her professional work included modeling for major fashion houses like Chanel, Versace, and Armani. She also appeared in pictorials for Playboy magazine, specifically gracing the covers of the January 1990 and November 1992 issues.
Much later, at age fifty-two, she participated in a six-page editorial and interview for the Spring/Summer 2011 issue of Genlux magazine. She also met her future husband, fellow model Eric Milan, during her time working in Paris.
Acting roles and television work
Joan began auditioning for acting parts in 1986 at the suggestion of her friend Robin Leach. Her screen debut occurred in 1987 with a small role in the original Lethal Weapon film. In 1989, she appeared alongside Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor in the comedy See No Evil, Hear No Evil. That same year, she played Samantha N. Moore in the wrestling film No Holds Barred. She also appeared in the 1988 music video for the Scorpions song Rhythm of Love.
Her most well-known television role was the villainess Susan Profitt, appearing in an eleven-episode arc of the series Wiseguy. In the early 1990s, she worked on training videos for Virtual World Entertainment, performing alongside actors like Cheech Marin and Weird Al Yankovic. She frequently portrayed femme fatale characters in low-budget horror and mystery films, such as Lake Consequence, Criminal Passion, and Payback. She held leading roles in the superhero film Black Scorpion and its sequel, as well as The Last Seduction II, also serving as a producer on the latter two projects.
Personal life
Joan Severance married model Eric Milan in 1977. The couple separated amicably in 1984, with Joan stating that they simply grew apart over time. She received a diagnosis of vitiligo at age eight. The condition primarily affects the skin around her eyes.
Birthday and age
Joan Severance was born on December 23, 1958, which makes Joan 67 years old today. That birthday falls under the Capricorn sign. Joan shares the date with 23 other famous people.
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