Joan Allen was born in Rochelle, Illinois. She attended Rochelle Township High School where she was voted most likely to succeed. She participated in the school music program as well. She joined the Steppenwolf Theatre Company ensemble in 1977, where she got her professional start. She has a daughter named Sadie.



Has won many Stage awards and won a Tony in 1989 for her debut Broadway performance in Burn This. Transferred to Northern Illinois University in 1976 whence she graduated. Ensemble member of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Won the 1988 Tony Award as Best Actress (Play) for her Broadway debut in Lanford Wilson's "Burn This." She was again nominated the next year (1989) in the same category for Wendy Wasserstein's "The Heidi Chronicles.". Is the youngest of 4 children. Chosen as Most Likely to Succeed by friends when graduating from high school. Joan has two sisters: Mary Allen (b. 1940), Lynn Allen (b. 1954) and a brother named David Allen (b. 1943). Studied acting at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston under Glendon Gabbard. She was awarded the 1986 Joseph Jefferson Award for Actress in a Principal Role in a Play for "A Lesson from Aloes" at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, Illinois.