# Joanne Baron

Joanne Baron (born February 3, 1953) is an American actress and Meisner technique acting coach. She was raised in Providence, Rhode Island and attended Classical and Pawtucket High Schools. She received early acceptance to the University of Connecticut, then pursued Broadway opportunities and sang in Reno Sweeny's with Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston's mother.

## Actress, producer

Baron's film acting credits include Valley Girl, National Lampoon's Joy of Sex, Real Genius, Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, Drag Me to Hell, Spider-Man 2, The Prince & Me, Allie & Me, Universal Soldier, Someone to Watch Over Me. Television appearances include roles on the Emmy award winning television show Mad Men, Law & Order, The Shield, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and the ABC series Lovers and Other Strangers. She acted as executive producer for the TV movie Profoundly Normal starring Kirstie Alley and as producer on the films Perfume, Brooklyn Babylon, and Allie & Me, for which she won Best Actress at the River Run Film Festival. Joanne also has extensive stage credits including There Once Was a Girl from Pawtucket staged in Los Angeles and which received two Dramalogue Awards in 1997.

## Meisner Technique master teacher

Baron is known for her dedication to the work of Sanford Meisner and is a teacher of the Meisner technique, having owned a studio specializing in that technique since 1975. She trained with Neighborhood Playhouse alum and master Meisner teacher, William Esper, who founded the MFA and BFA Professional Actor Training Programs at Rutgers University. Her past students include Halle Berry, Robin Wright, Mariska Hargitay, Patrick Dempsey, Leslie Mann, and directors Martha Coolidge and Tom Shadyac.

## Joanne Baron / D.W. Brown Acting Studio

For nearly fifty years, Baron has been co-owner and artistic director of the Joanne Baron / DW Brown Studio in Santa Monica, California, (an offshoot of The William Esper Studio in New York) with her husband, actor, acting coach and director, D.W. Brown. Former students include Luca Bercovici, Ekin Tunçay Turan, Leslie Mann, Channon Roe, Haley Webb, and Robin Wright.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1978 | Eyes of Laura Mars | Linda | |
| 1981 | C.O.D. | Rosalie | |
| 1983 | Valley Girl | Prom Host | |
| 1984 | Joy of Sex | Miss Post | |
| 1985 | Real Genius | Mrs. Taylor | |
| 1987 | Someone to Watch Over Me | Helen Greening | |
| 1987 | Medium Rare | Ruth | |
| 1992 | Eye of the Storm | Margaret | |
| 1992 | Universal Soldier | Brenda | |
| 1994 | Pet Shop | Marilyn Yeagher | |
| 1996 | The Dentist | Mrs. Saunders | |
| 1996 | Scene of the Crime | Marsha Levine | AKA, Ladykiller |
| 1997 | The Big Fall | Mrs. Brody | Video |
| 1997 | Allie & Me | Allie Dadadad | |
| 1997 | St. Patrick's Day | Priss | |
| 2001 | Brooklyn Babylon | Aunt Rose | |
| 2001 | Perfume | Janice Crawford | |
| 2001 | Burning Down the House | Brenda Goodman | |
| 2001 | Strings | Barbara | |
| 2001 | Hard Luck | Gretchen | |
| 2001 | The Theory of the Leisure Class | Barbara Beamer | |
| 2001 | The Myersons | Marilyn | |
| 2003 | Intoxicating | Dr. Eilene Preminger | |
| 2004 | The Prince & Me | Margueritte | |
| 2004 | Spider-Man 2 | Skeptical Scientist | |
| 2005 | Horror High | Ms. Prudence | Video |
| 2006 | Kalamazoo? | Mrs. Goldman | |
| 2006 | Material Girls | Gretchen | |
| 2006 | School for Scoundrels | Lois | |
| 2006 | Coffee Date | Mrs. Orsini | |
| 2006 | Pittsburgh | Joanne | |
| 2006 | God's Waiting List | Beryl | |
| 2007 | Stand Up | Suzanne | |
| 2007 | Blur | Penelope | |
| 2007 | The Ungodly | Megan | |
| 2007 | Steam | Diane | |
| 2008 | Damage Done | Mrs. Park | |
| 2008 | The Flyboys | Ms. Poulson | |
| 2008 | Chinaman's Chance: America's Other Slaves | Elizabeth | |
| 2008 | Black Crescent Moon | Bitsy | |
| 2008 | iMurders | Christine Jensen | |
| 2009 | An American Girl: Chrissa Stands Strong | Mrs. Ziminsky | Video |
| 2009 | Everybody Dies | DEB | |
| 2009 | Heidi 4 Paws | Detie (voice) | |
| 2010 | Frankie & Alice | Susan Shaw | |
| 2010 | Bare Knuckles | Dorothy | |
| 2011 | On the Inside | Mrs. Standings | |
| 2011 | Life at the Resort | Nadya | |
| 2011 | Stan | Shelly Frankle | |
| 2012 | This is 40 | Vice Principal Laviati |
| 2012 | The Trouble with Cali | Zelda Hirschorn | |
| 2012 | 3 Days of Normal | Liz | |
| 2013 | Decoding Annie Parker | Florence | |
| 2013 | Enemy Empire | Oracle | |
| 2014 | Murder of a Cat | Phyllis | |
| 2014 | Tribute | Sheila Spicer | Short |
| 2015 | I Remember You | Katie | |
| 2015 | The Sound of Magic | Maggie | |
| 2016 | Indignation | Mrs. Greenberg | |
| 2016 | Killer Assistant | Janet McAlper | |
| 2016 | Criticsized | Hilary Stone | |
| 2017 | Price for Freedom | Haleh | |
| 2017 | Man with Van | Hargrove | |
| 2017 | Deadly Exchange | Ruth | |
| 2018 | Frank & Ava | Hedda | |
| 2018 | Railroad to Hell: A Chinaman's Chance | Elizabeth | |
| 2018 | Kill Thy Neighbor | Katherine | |
| 2019 | The Creatress | Mrs. Freeman | |
| 2020 | Sno Babies | Sister Margaret | |
| 2021 | Tango Shalom | Hanna Meyer | |
| 2021 | Bart Bagalzby and the Garbage Genie | Maggie | |
| 2022 | Halloween Ends | Joan Cunningham | |
| 2023 | Critters, Carnivores and Creatures | Marilyn Yeagher | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1983 | Lovers and Other Strangers | Brenda | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1985 | The Twilight Zone | Mrs. Beacham | Episode: "Night of the Meek" |
| 1986–1988 | Sledge Hammer! | Mrs. Flambo, Wanda Hobbs | Episodes: "Under the Gun", "Death of a Few Salesmen", "Model Dearest" |
| 1988 | A Year in the Life | Margo | Episode: "Common Ground" |
| 1988 | First Impressions | Rhonda | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1989 | Prime Target | Mrs. Weissman | TV film |
| 1989 | Chicken Soup | Mrs. Levine | Episode: "Community Service" |
| 1992 | Crazy in Love | Mona Tuckman | TV film |
| 1992 | Civil Wars | Mrs. Delvechio | Episode: "Grin and Bare It" |
| 1993, 1995 | Sisters | Edie, Stevye D'Lay | Episodes: "A Kick in the Caboose", "Word of Honor" |
| 1998 | Martial Law | Judith Jacobs | Episode: "How Sammo Got His Groove Back" |
| 1999 | Veronica's Closet | Brenda | Episodes: "Veronica's Desk Job", "Veronica's Night at the Theater", "Veronica Says Goodbye" |
| 2000 | Diagnosis: Murder | Rabbi Nussbaum | Episode: "All Dressed Up and Nowhere to Die" |
| 2001 | The Ponder Heart | Miss Teacake Magee | TV film |
| 2001 | Going to California | Barbara | Episode: "Hurricane Al: A Tale of Key Largo" |
| 2003 | Street Time | Beverly | Episode: "Hostage" |
| 2004 | Strong Medicine | Brenda | Episode: "Ears, Ho's & Threat" |
| 2004 | ER | Virgie | Episode: "NICU" |
| 2007 | While the Children Sleep | Mel Olson | TV film |
| 2008 | The Shield | Marianne | Episode: "Family Meeting" |
| 2010 | Law & Order | Danielle Payne | Episode: "Blackmail" |
| 2010 | Medium Rare | Ruth | Episode: "1.1" |
| 2010 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Hildy Glaser | Episode: "Three-in-One" |
| 2011 | L.A. Noire | Elinor Hopkin (voice) | Video game |
| 2011 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Rabbi Stein | Episode: "Palestinian Chicken" |
| 2012 | The Unknown | Susan | Episode: "Yesterday" |
| 2013–14, 2017, 2019 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Diane Schwartz | Episodes: "Military Justice", "Glasgowman's Wrath", "The Newsroom", "Brothel" |
| 2014 | Rake | Anne | Episode: "Cannibal" |
| 2015 | The Bar Mitzvah Club | Mrs. Goldstein | TV film |
| 2016 | Murder in the First | Ruth Adler | Episode: "Follow the Money" |
| 2017 | Grace and Frankie | Cheryl | Episode: "The Other Vibrator" |
| 2017 | Lady Dynamite | Barb Persecki | Episode: "Wet Raccoon" |
| 2017 | Romance at Reindeer Lodge | Val | TV film |
| 2018 | Bad Escorts | Mrs. Worthington | Episodes: "Training Day", "Revelations and Blindfolds", "Rendezvous" |
| 2019 | Total Eclipse | Ms. Reardon | Episodes: "Future Self", "Brownie Points", "One Turkey Sandwich", "Breakout", "Ditch Day", "Lights Out", "Millwood Casanova", "Sam's Jam", "Come with Me" |
| 2019 | Crashing | Shoshanna | Episode: "The Temple Gig" |
| 2019 | This Is Us | Gina | Episode: "Flip a Coin" |
| 2022 | Euphoria | Judy Daley | Episode: "Ruminations: Big and Little Bullys" |
| 2022 | Billions | Lorna MacGowan | Episode: "Lyin' Eyes" |
| 2023 | The Lincoln Lawyer | Margo Schafer | Episodes: "Discovery", "Suspicious Minds" |
| 2023 | The Morning Show | Brenda Litchfield | Episode: "The Overview Effect" |