Joan Severance
Encyclopedia
Early life
Severance was born in Houston, TexasHouston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
to John and Martha Severance. Her father was an IBM
IBM
International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
Systems Manager that had to move frequently around the world. According to Severance "by the time I was 11, we'd lived in 12 different places". Severance and her family also lived in Libya
Libya
Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....
, but in 1967 had to flee the country because of the Six-Day War
Six-Day War
The Six-Day War , also known as the June War, 1967 Arab-Israeli War, or Third Arab-Israeli War, was fought between June 5 and 10, 1967, by Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt , Jordan, and Syria...
. The family left the Middle East to return to the United States and settled in Houston, Texas.
Severance attended Westbury High School
Westbury High School (Houston)
Westbury High School is a secondary school located in Brays Oaks, of Southwest Houston, Texas, near the Westbury neighborhood. It has grades 9 through 12, and is part of the Houston Independent School District. As of 2010 the principal is Andrew Wainwright...
and, at age 15, started modeling to make money for college. Although she hoped to become a veterinarian, she could not afford the cost of tuition. After appearing in the "Miss Houston" beauty contest, she was discovered—and later signed by—the Elite modeling agency
Elite Model Management
Elite Model Management is a large modeling agency based in New York and Paris. It is a subsidiary of Elite World S.A.-History:Founded in France in 1972 by John Casablancas and Alain Kittler, it was rebought in 1990 by Nicholas Farrae. Elite World S.A. is the parent company of Elite Model...
and sent on assignment to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. During this time, she also met her future husband, model Eric Milan.
Modeling
During her time in Paris, she posed for Sportswear International, Vogue ParisVogue Paris
The French edition of Vogue magazine, Vogue Paris, is a fashion magazine that has been published since 1920.-1920–1954:The French edition of Vogue was first issued on June 15, 1920. More information about French Vogue in the 1920s is available in Mary E. Davis's book Classic Chic: Music, Fashion,...
, and others. Upon her return to the United States, Severance became one of America's top models, filming over 40 commercials, and earning $7,500 per day.
Severance was also on the covers of the January 1990 and November 1992 issues of Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
magazine, both featuring her in a nude pictorial.
Acting
In 1986, Severance began auditioning for acting bits at the urge of her friend Robin LeachRobin Leach
Robin Douglas Leach is an English celebrity writer famous for hosting his first show, Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, in the mid-1980s and into the mid-1990s, which focused on profiling well-known celebrities and their lavish homes, cars and other materialistic endeavors...
. She made her debut in a small role in the first Lethal Weapon
Lethal Weapon
Lethal Weapon is a 1987 American buddy cop action film and the first in a series of films, all directed by Richard Donner and starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as a mismatched pair of LAPD detectives, and Gary Busey as their primary adversary...
film in 1987. She usually takes the femme fatale
Femme fatale
A femme fatale is a mysterious and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers in bonds of irresistible desire, often leading them into compromising, dangerous, and deadly situations. She is an archetype of literature and art...
roles in lower budget horror and murder-mystery movies, most notably Lake Consequence
Lake Consequence (film)
Lake Consequence is a 1992 erotic made for television melodrama. It was directed by Rafael Eisenman with casting by Sue Swan.Tagline: "A man and two women".-Plot:...
(1993), Criminal Passion (1994) and Payback (1995). She was featured alongside Richard Pryor
Richard Pryor
Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor was an American stand-up comedian, actor, social critic, writer and MC. Pryor was known for uncompromising examinations of racism and topical contemporary issues, which employed colorful vulgarities, and profanity, as well as racial epithets...
and Gene Wilder
Gene Wilder
Gene Wilder is an American stage and screen actor, director, screenwriter, and author.Wilder began his career on stage, making his screen debut in the film Bonnie and Clyde in 1967. His first major role was as Leopold Bloom in the 1968 film The Producers...
in the 1989 comedy See No Evil, Hear No Evil
See No Evil, Hear No Evil
See No Evil, Hear No Evil is a 1989 American comedy film directed by Arthur Hiller and produced by Marvin Worth for TriStar Pictures. It stars Richard Pryor as a blind man and Gene Wilder as a deaf man who work together to thwart a band of murderous thieves.-Plot summary:A blind man named Wally...
, and as Hulk Hogan
Hulk Hogan
Terrance Gene "Terry" Bollea , better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American Semi-retired professional wrestler, actor, television personality, and musician currently signed to Total Nonstop Action Wrestling ....
's love interest, Samantha N. Moore, in the wrestling film No Holds Barred (1989). She had leading roles in Roger Corman
Roger Corman
Roger William Corman is an American film producer, director and actor. He has mostly worked on low-budget B movies. Some of Corman's work has an established critical reputation, such as his cycle of films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, and in 2009 he won an Honorary Academy Award for...
's Black Scorpion
Black Scorpion (film)
Black Scorpion is a 1995 comedy-action film starring Joan Severance as the eponymous costumed crime fighter. Roger Corman was the executive producer, and it was originally released on the Showtime cable network as part of the Roger Corman Presents series.The film concerns the comic book style...
(1995) (she later starred in and co-produced a sequel, Black Scorpion II: Aftershock
Black Scorpion II: Aftershock
Black Scorpion II: Aftershock, also known as Black Scorpion II: Ground Zero, is a 1997 comedy-action film starring Joan Severance as a crime fighting superhero. Roger Corman was the executive producer....
(1997)), and The Last Seduction 2 (1999).
Her most notable role is as a villainess on the TV series Wiseguy
Wiseguy
Wiseguy is an American crime drama series that aired on CBS from September 16, 1987 to December 8, 1990 for a total of four seasons. Starring Ken Wahl, the series was produced by Stephen J...
, where she played half of a brother/sister crime team (the other half was played by Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey
Kevin Spacey, CBE is an American actor, director, screenwriter, producer, and crooner. He grew up in California, and began his career as a stage actor during the 1980s, before being cast in supporting roles in film and television...
) to great acclaim. Their partnership was reprised in See No Evil, Hear No Evil
See No Evil, Hear No Evil
See No Evil, Hear No Evil is a 1989 American comedy film directed by Arthur Hiller and produced by Marvin Worth for TriStar Pictures. It stars Richard Pryor as a blind man and Gene Wilder as a deaf man who work together to thwart a band of murderous thieves.-Plot summary:A blind man named Wally...
. In the early 1990s, Severance appeared as Samantha "Sam" Dooley, the Martian Belle, in several training videos for Virtual World Entertainment alongside other actors such as Cheech Marin
Cheech Marin
Richard Anthony "Cheech" Marin is an American comedian, actor and writer who gained recognition as part of the comedy act Cheech & Chong during the 1970s and early 1980s, and as Don Johnson's partner, Insp. Joe Dominguez on Nash Bridges...
, "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
, R. Lee Ermey
R. Lee Ermey
Ronald Lee Ermey is a retired United States Marine Corps drill instructor and actor.Ermey has often played the roles of authority figures, such as his breakout performance as Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in Full Metal Jacket, Mayor Tilman in the Alan Parker film Mississippi Burning, Bill Bowerman in...
, and Judge Reinhold
Judge Reinhold
Judge Reinhold is an American actor, perhaps best known for co-starring in movies such as Beverly Hills Cop, Ruthless People, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, and The Santa Clause trilogy.-Early life:...
.
More recently, Severance has appeared in the 2006 My Network TV telenovela
MyNetworkTV telenovelas
The MyNetworkTV telenovelas were Fox Television's attempt to create a successful low-cost programming franchise by adapting Spanish-language telenovelas for U.S. viewers. While originally planned for syndication, the format became the original lineup of MyNetworkTV in 2006...
Wicked Wicked Games
Wicked Wicked Games
Wicked Wicked Games is a telenovela that debuted on December 6, 2006 on the American television network MyNetworkTV. Twentieth Television produced 63 episodes to air weekdays. The limited-run serial was directed by Terry Cunningham, Dennis Dimster, P. David Ebersole, Jeff Hare and Jeremy Stanford. ...
, as well as appearances in shows like CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami
CSI: Miami is an American police procedural television series, which premiered on September 23, 2002 on CBS. The series is a spin-off of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation....
, One Tree Hill
One Tree Hill (TV series)
One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster...
, and others.
She has also appeared in several music videos, including the Scorpions
Scorpions (band)
Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
' video for the song, "Rhythm of Love
Rhythm of Love (Scorpions song)
"Rhythm of Love" is a song by heavy metal band Scorpions which appeared on their 1988 album Savage Amusement. The music was composed by guitarist Rudolf Schenker and the lyrics by singer Klaus Meine.The video featured model Joan Severance....
".
She is also one of the primary physical inspirations for cartoonist John Linton Roberson
John Linton Roberson
John Linton Roberson , also known as JLRoberson, is an American writer, illustrator, and cartoonist.-Biography:His father was Lt. John Linton Roberson III, who served under Col...
's character Vladrushka.
Partial filmography
- WiseguyWiseguyWiseguy is an American crime drama series that aired on CBS from September 16, 1987 to December 8, 1990 for a total of four seasons. Starring Ken Wahl, the series was produced by Stephen J...
(1987) [TV] - Lethal WeaponLethal WeaponLethal Weapon is a 1987 American buddy cop action film and the first in a series of films, all directed by Richard Donner and starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as a mismatched pair of LAPD detectives, and Gary Busey as their primary adversary...
(1987) - Worth WinningWorth WinningWorth Winning is a 1989 film starring Mark Harmon and Madeleine Stowe, directed by Will Mackenzie. It was written by Josann McGibbon and Sara Parriott, based on the novel by Dan Lewandowski.- Plot :...
(1989) - See No Evil, Hear No EvilSee No Evil, Hear No EvilSee No Evil, Hear No Evil is a 1989 American comedy film directed by Arthur Hiller and produced by Marvin Worth for TriStar Pictures. It stars Richard Pryor as a blind man and Gene Wilder as a deaf man who work together to thwart a band of murderous thieves.-Plot summary:A blind man named Wally...
(1989) - No Holds Barred (1989)
- Bird on a WireBird on a Wire (film)Bird on a Wire is a 1990 feature film starring Mel Gibson and Goldie Hawn, directed by John Badham, and shot mainly in British Columbia, Canada. The title refers to the Leonard Cohen song "Bird on the Wire"...
(1990) - Write to Kill (1990)
- The RunestoneThe RunestoneThe Runestone is a 1991 adventure/horror film, the first film written and directed by Willard Carroll. The film is an updating of the Ragnarok legend, with Fenrir being found in a runestone in Pennsylvania unearthed by archaeologists.-Plot:...
(1990) - Another Pair of Aces: Three of a Kind (1991)
- Criminal Passion (1994)
- Payback (1994)
- Lake ConsequenceLake Consequence (film)Lake Consequence is a 1992 erotic made for television melodrama. It was directed by Rafael Eisenman with casting by Sue Swan.Tagline: "A man and two women".-Plot:...
(1993)[TV] - Almost Pregnant (1992)
- Illicit Behavior (1992)
- Black ScorpionBlack Scorpion (film)Black Scorpion is a 1995 comedy-action film starring Joan Severance as the eponymous costumed crime fighter. Roger Corman was the executive producer, and it was originally released on the Showtime cable network as part of the Roger Corman Presents series.The film concerns the comic book style...
(1995)[TV] - Hard Evidence (1995)
- Frequent Flyer (1996)[TV]
- Black Scorpion II: AftershockBlack Scorpion II: AftershockBlack Scorpion II: Aftershock, also known as Black Scorpion II: Ground Zero, is a 1997 comedy-action film starring Joan Severance as a crime fighting superhero. Roger Corman was the executive producer....
(1996) - Profile for Murder (1997)
- Matter of TrustMatter of TrustMatter of Trust is a 1997 independent film directed by Joey Travolta and written by John Penney. Model and dancer Dita Von Teese played a small part in it. Other cast members include: C. Thomas Howell as Michael D'Angelo, Joan Severance as Theresa Marsh, Nick Mancuso as Peter Marsh, Robert Miano as...
(1997) - In Dark Places (1997)
- The Last Seduction II (1999)
- Cause of Death (2000)
- Sex and Consequences (a.k.a. "Last Sunset", 2006)