Actress Joan Allen was born in Illinois. The state shaped who she was as a person and as an actress. Along with Gary Sinise, Laurie Metcalf and John Malkovich, Allen is one of the founding members of Chicago's famed Steppenwolf Theatre Company, where she began her professional career. She studied theater at Eastern Illinois University.

Before she has film success Allen made a name for herself on stage. On Broadway, Allen received a Tony Award for her performance opposite John Malkovich in Lanford Wilson's “Burn This” (1987), and was nominated in the same category for “The Heidi Chronicles” (1989).

Allen's first film was “Compromising Positions” (1985), followed by “Peggy Sue Got Married” (1986), starring Kathleen Turner, “Tucker: A Man and His Dream” (1988), starring Jeff Bridges and “Searching for Bobby Fischer” (1993).

In 1996, Allen dropped 10 pounds to star opposite Anthony Hopkins in Oliver Stone's “Nixon,” where her eerily accurate portrayal of Pat Nixon won her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She received her second consecutive Best Supporting Actress nomination in 1997 for Arthur Miller's “The Crucible,” featuring Daniel Day-Lewis and Winona Ryder.

Allen garnered more critical praise, along with her third Academy Award nomination for her performance in “The Contender” (2000). She played a vice presidential hopeful whose sexual past is questioned publicly by a conservative senator, played by Gary Oldman. Jeff Bridges also co-starred in the film.

Recently the actress has appeared on the HBO series “Luck” and Netflix’s “The Killing.”

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