Joan Maxine Kupchik ( Miller; June 1, 1922 – January 4, 2022), known professionally as Joan Copeland, was an American actress. She was the younger sister of playwright

Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are '' All My Sons'' (1947), ''Death of a Salesman'' ( ...

. She began her career during the mid-1940s, appearing in theatre in New York City, where, shortly thereafter, she would become one of the first members admitted to the newly formed Actors Studio. She moved into television and film during the 1950s while still maintaining an active stage career. She is best known for her performances in the 1977 Broadway revival of '' Pal Joey'' and her award-winning performance in the 1981 play '' The American Clock''. She also played a number of prominent roles on various soap operas throughout her career, including Andrea Whiting on ''

Search for Tomorrow ''Search for Tomorrow'' is an American television soap opera. It began its run on CBS on September 3, 1951, and concluded on NBC, 35 years later, on December 26, 1986. Set in the fictional town of Henderson in an unspecified state, the show fo ...

'' and Gwendolyn Lord Abbott on '' One Life to Live''. She voiced Tanana in ''

Brother Bear ''Brother Bear'' is a 2003 American animated musical fantasy comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 44th Disney animated feature film, it was directed by Aaron Blaise and Robert ...

''.

Personal life

Miller was born to a middle-class

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

family in New York City. Her father, Isidore, was a woman's clothes manufacturer, and her mother, Augusta (née Barnett), was a schoolteacher and a housewife. She was the younger sister of Kermit Miller and playwright

and was briefly sister-in-law to

Marilyn Monroe Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...

. She was married to George J. Kupchik, an engineer, from 1946 until his death in 1989. She had a son named Eric with him.Wahls, Robert (July 18, 1976)
"Footlights: Perseverance Counts"
''New York Daily News''. p. 216. Retrieved January 7, 2022. Copeland died at her home in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

on January 4, 2022, at the age of 99.

Career

Copeland began her career in the theatre, making her professional debut as Juliet in

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetim ...

'' at the

Brooklyn Academy of Music The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) is a performing arts venue in Brooklyn, New York City, known as a center for progressive and avant-garde performance. It presented its first performance in 1861 and began operations in its present location in ...

in 1945. She made her

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

debut as Nadine in the original 1948 production of Bessie Breuer's '' Sundown Beach''. Thereafter she maintained an active career in the theatre. Her other Broadway credits include ''

Detective Story Detective fiction is a subgenre of crime fiction and mystery fiction in which an investigator or a detective—whether professional, amateur or retired—investigates a crime, often murder. The detective genre began around the same time as specu ...

'' (1949), '' Not for Children'' (1951), '' Handful of Fire'' (1958), '' Tovarich'' (1963), ''

Something More! ''Something More!'' is a musical with music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Marilyn Bergman and Alan Bergman. The book by Nate Monaster is based on the 1962 novel ''Portofino P.T.A.'' by Gerald Green. Composer Robert Prince contributed some music ...

'' (1964), '' The Price'' (1968), '' Coco'' (1969), '' Two By Two'' (1970), '' Checking Out'' (1976), '' 45 Seconds from Broadway'' (2002), and '' Wit & Wisdom'' (2003), among others. She worked extensively Off-Broadway in New York City. Her notable credits therein include Desdemona in ''

Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cypru ...

'' at the Equity Library Theatre (1946), Betty Shapiro in ''

The Grass is Greener ''The Grass Is Greener'' is a 1960 British romantic comedy film directed by Stanley Donen and starring Cary Grant, Deborah Kerr, Robert Mitchum, and Jean Simmons. The screenplay was adapted by Hugh Williams and Margaret Vyner from the play o ...

'' at the Downtown National Theatre (1955), Melanie in ''

Conversation Piece A conversation piece refers to a group portrait in a domestic or landscape setting depicting persons chatting or otherwise socializing with each other.End of Summer'' at the

Manhattan Theatre Club Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC) is a theatre company located in New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove, Manhattan Theatre Club has g ...

(1974), Lillian Hellman in '' Are You Now or Have You Ever Been'' at the Promenade Theatre (1978), the title role in '' Candida'' at the

Roundabout Theatre The Roundabout Theatre Company is a leading non-profit theatre company based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. History The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist, Michael Fried and Elizab ...

(1979), Tasha Blumberg in ''

Isn't It Romantic? "Isn't It Romantic?" is a popular song and part of the Great American Songbook. The music was composed by Richard Rodgers, with lyrics by Lorenz Hart. It has a 32-bar chorus in A–B–A–C form. Alec Wilder, in his book ''American Popular Song: ...

'' at the

Playwrights Horizons Playwrights Horizons is a not-for-profit Off-Broadway theater located in New York City dedicated to the support and development of contemporary American playwrights, composers, and lyricists, and to the production of their new work. Under the ...

(1983), Mrs. Thompson in ''Hunting Cockroaches'' at the Manhattan Theatre Club (1987), Rose Brill in ''The Rose Quartet'' at the Circle Repertory Theatre (1991), Aida Gianelli in '' Over the River and Through the Woods'' at the John Houseman Theatre (1998), Nelly Fell in ''

The Torch-Bearers ''The Torch-Bearers'' is a 1922 stage play by George Kelly (playwright), George Kelly about a housewife who becomes an actress (the original actress became a widow and withdrew) while her husband is away on business, with Act I being the rehearsal ...

'' at the Greenwich House Theatre (2000), and as part of a rotating cast in '' Wit & Wisdom'' at the Arclight Theatre (2003). She won an

Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards originally given by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City. In September 2014, the awards were jointly presented and administered with the A ...

in 1991 for her portrayal of Eva Adler in ''

The American Plan ''The American Plan'' is a play by Richard Greenberg, which ran both Off-Broadway in 1990 and on Broadway in 2009. Productions The play premiered Off-Broadway, produced by the Manhattan Theatre Club at New York City Center Stage II on January 23 ...

'' at the Manhattan Theatre Club. Copeland began working in television in the early 1950s as a guest actress on such shows as '' Suspense'' and ''

The Web The World Wide Web (WWW), commonly known as the Web, is an information system enabling documents and other web resources to be accessed over the Internet. Documents and downloadable media are made available to the network through web s ...

'' and on the live telecast of

O'Neill The O'Neill dynasty (Irish: ''Ó Néill'') are a lineage of Irish Gaelic origin, that held prominent positions and titles in Ireland and elsewhere. As kings of Cenél nEógain, they were historically the most prominent family of the Northern ...

's play ''

The Iceman Cometh ''The Iceman Cometh'' is a play written by American playwright Eugene O'Neill in 1939. First published in 1946, the play premiered on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre on October 9, 1946, directed by Eddie Dowling, where it ran for 136 perf ...

'' in 1960. She appeared on numerous soap operas. She portrayed Andrea Whiting (Joanne's daughter, Patti's malevolent former mother in-law) on ''

'', twin sisters Maggie and Kay Logan on ''

Love of Life ''Love of Life'' is an American soap opera televised on CBS from September 24, 1951, to February 1, 1980. It was created by Roy Winsor, whose previous creation ''Search for Tomorrow'' premiered three weeks before ''Love of Life''; he created ''Th ...

'', and roles on ''

The Edge of Night ''The Edge of Night'' is an American television mystery crime drama series and soap opera, created by Irving Vendig and produced by Procter & Gamble Productions. It debuted on CBS on April 2, 1956, and ran as a live broadcast on that netwo ...

'', ''

How to Survive a Marriage ''How to Survive a Marriage'' is an American soap opera which aired on the NBC television network from January 7, 1974 to April 18, 1975. The serial was created by Anne Howard Bailey, with much input from then-NBC Vice President Lin Bolen. The ...

'', and ''

As the World Turns ''As the World Turns'' (often abbreviated as ''ATWT'') is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS for 54 years from April 2, 1956, to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created ''As the World Turns'' as a sister show to her other soa ...

''. She also portrayed

Gwendolyn Lord Gwendolyn is a feminine given name, a variant spelling of ''Gwendolen'' (perhaps influenced by names such as ''Carolyn'', '' Evelyn'' and '' Marilyn''). This has been the most popular spelling in the United States. Notable people called Gwendoly ...

Abbott on '' One Life to Live'' from 1978–1979, and later returned to the series to play Selma Hanen in 1995. Between 1993-1997 she portrayed the recurring character of Judge Rebecca Stein on ''

Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment, launching the '' Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire run on NBC, premiering on ...

''. Her other television credits include guest appearances on ''

The Patty Duke Show ''The Patty Duke Show'' is an American television sitcom created by Sidney Sheldon and William Asher. The series ran on ABC from September 18, 1963, to April 27, 1966. The series was developed as a vehicle for teenage star Patty Duke, who h ...

'', '' Chicago Hope'', '' ER'', ''

All in the Family ''All in the Family'' is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS for nine seasons, from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. Afterwards, it was continued with the spin-off series ''Archie Bunker's Place'', which picked up where ''All in ...

'', and '' Naked City''. Copeland made her first film appearance as Alice Marie in '' The Goddess'' (1958). Her film career was sporadic and her appearances have been almost exclusively in prominent secondary roles. Her film credits include ''

Middle of the Night ''Middle of the Night'' is a 1959 American drama film directed by Delbert Mann, and released by Columbia Pictures.'' Variety'' film review; May 20, 1959, page 6.''Harrison's Reports'' film review; May 23, 1959, page 82. It was entered into th ...

'' (1959), '' Roseland'' (1977), '' It's My Turn'' (1980), ''

A Little Sex ''A Little Sex'' is a 1982 American comedy film produced by MTM Enterprises and distributed by Universal Pictures. It was directed by Bruce Paltrow and written by Bob DeLaurentis. Plot Young television producer, Michael Donovan, tries to aba ...

'' (1982), '' Happy New Year'' (1987), ''

The Laser Man ''The Laser Man'' is a 1988 Hong Kong film in the style of a crime drama parody A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comme ...

'' (1988), ''

Her Alibi ''Her Alibi'' is a 1989 American romantic comedy film directed by Bruce Beresford, written by Charlie Peters and starring Tom Selleck, Paulina Porizkova, William Daniels, and James Farentino. Plot Phil Blackwood (Selleck) is an American mystery ...

'' (1989), ''

Jungle 2 Jungle ''Jungle 2 Jungle'' is a 1997 comedy film directed by John Pasquin, produced by Walt Disney Pictures and TF1 Films Productions, and starring Tim Allen, Martin Short, Lolita Davidovich, David Ogden Stiers, JoBeth Williams, and introducing Sam Hun ...

'' (1997), '' The Peacemaker'' (1997), ''

The Object of My Affection ''The Object of My Affection'' is a 1998 American romantic comedy-drama film directed by Nicholas Hytner and starring Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd. The film was adapted from the novel of the same name by Stephen McCauley and the screenplay wa ...

'' (1998), ''

The Adventures of Sebastian Cole ''The Adventures of Sebastian Cole'' is a 1998 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Tod Williams and starring Adrian Grenier as the title character. Plot In June 1983 in Dutchess County, New York, Sebastian Cole's stepmother, who ...

'' (1998), ''

The Audrey Hepburn Story ''The Audrey Hepburn Story'' is a 2000 American biographical drama television film based on the life of actress and humanitarian Audrey Hepburn. Covering the years 1935 to the 1960s, it stars Jennifer Love Hewitt, who also produced the film. Emm ...

'' (2000), ''The Last Request'' (2006), and ''

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee ''The Private Lives of Pippa Lee'' is a 2009 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Rebecca Miller. The screenplay is based on her novel of the same name. It features an ensemble cast including Robin Wright, Alan Arkin, Mar ...

'' (2009). She also voiced Tanana in

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

's ''

'' (2003). In December 2014, Copeland was invited, along with Broadway actor-singer

Jamie Ross Jamie Ross (born 4 May 1939 in Markinch) is a Scottish-American actor, best known for his work on Broadway. Career Ross made his Broadway debut in 1971 as Major Caldwell in Leon Uris's short lived musical ''Ari''. His first major success w ...

by The Noel Coward Society to lay flowers on the statue of Sir Noël Coward at The Gershwin Theatre in Manhattan to celebrate the 115th anniversary of Coward's birthday. Copeland was nominated for a

Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fo ...

for the 1976 production of '' Pal Joey'' and won a Drama Desk Award in 1981 for '' The American Clock''.

Filmography

References

External links

* * * *
Joan Copeland
at the

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

'
Actors Studio audio collectionTimes Square Online - Joan Copeland, talented sister of Arthur Miller has a lot to say at age 89
- interview by Sandi Durell, video by Magda Katz, posted August 20, 2011 {{DEFAULTSORT:Copeland, Joan 1922 births 2022 deaths 21st-century American Jews 21st-century American actresses Actresses from New York City American film actresses American people of Polish-Jewish descent American stage actresses American television actresses Drama Desk Award winners Jewish American actresses Obie Award recipients 20th-century American Jews 20th-century American actresses Abraham Lincoln High School (Brooklyn) alumni