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.

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.

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.

For nearly fifty years, Baron has been co-owner and artistic director of the Joanne Baron / D.W. 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.

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.