actor

Biography

In 1965 Joan was chosen to be one of the six original Playboy Bunny Girls and went to Chicago to train in the Chicago Playboy Club. She returned to England in 1966 to audition and train British girls to open the London Playboy Club in Park Lane. Whilst there Frank Sinatra chose her to appear in his film The Naked Runner.

In October 1966 Joan married Chas Hodges (of Chas & Dave). She then decided to become a full time Mum. They now have three children, Juliet, Kate, who is a singer/songwriter (kategarnermusic.com) and Nik, who is a musician and Film/tv composer (nikhodges.com). Joan and Chas also have a granddaughter fashion designer Charlie Hodges (saccharineshrine.com) and Grandson Harry Garner.

In 1992 Joan fulfilled a lifetime ambition to become an actress, she enrolled and trained at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts as a mature student.

Upon graduation she joined The Millfield Theatre Company in North London, where she appeared in several productions, making her professional acting debut as the Nurse in Romeo & Juliet. During the run she was spotted by a casting director, who cast her in London's Burning, her first TV appearance. Joan's big break came in 1997 when John Sullivan offered her the role of Marilyn in his new Comedy/Drama series Roger Roger for the BBC, in which she appeared as a regular for 3 series, working alongside Robert Daws, Philip Glenister and Pippa Guard. Joan has also played Georgia Mackenzies mother, Irene Hagger, in Hot Money for Granada, Mrs Meadows in Fierce for Channel 4 Films and Eileen Draper in The Bill for Thames Television. She was also Jimmy's Mum who 'made his sandwiches!' in the award winning Lucozade TV commercial. Another career highlight was playing Marion in the 2001 Christmas Special of Only Fools & Horses for the BBC.

Joan is a member of The Actors' Guild of Great Britain and Women in Film & Television.