Joan Blair

Joan Blair was born in New Orleans, Lousiana in 1960. She acted in school and in several regional theater groups. She studied at the Herbert-Berghof Acting Studio, in New York City, where she studied with Uta Hagen and Michael Beckett, among others. She attended the University of Missouri at Columbia, Cal-State University-Northridge and completed her studies at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg in 1996. She received a BFA in Theatre, with an emphasis in Acting and Directing. Blair began pursuing her acting career in film and television. She has had Co-Starring roles on such TV shows as; "Tracey Takes On...", "Rude Awakening", "Malcolm In the Middle", "Judging Amy", "Monk", "My Name Is Earl", and "Criminal Minds". She has had diverse roles in films including: "Mr. Chick Magnet," "Echos of Enlightenment", "Donnie Darko", "Daddy Daycare", and "Surviving Christmas". She was also seen in "Baadasssss", Mario Van Peebles' film about his father Melvin's struggle to make the first "black hero" film in 1970. "Baadasssss" was a part of the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, where it received standing ovations at every screening. It was released by Sony Pictures Classics and is now available on DVD. Blair played a Supporting Lead Role in the Indie Feature Film, "Boppin' at the Glue Factory", playing Jady Hemmingway. The film was produced by Brooklyn Reptyle Productions. In 2007, she had s small role in "He's Just Not That Into You". The film premiered in US theaters on February 6, 2009. It is now available on DVD. In 2010, she completed guest roles on two new TV comedies. She appears on "Important Things With Demetri Martin" as a woman in a Near-Death Experience Support Group, appearing in the show's second season on Comedy Central. Her charities include the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Monica, Screen Actors Guild's Bookpals (which reads books to school children) and she sponsors a child through Save the Children.