JoAnna Cameron
From The TV IV
| JoAnna Cameron | |
 | |
| Birth name | JoAnna Kara Cameron |
| Born | September 20, 1951 in Vail, Colorado, USA |
| Sometimes credited as | Jo Anna Cameron
Joanna K. Cameron Joanna Kara Cameron Joanna Cameron |
| Notable Roles | Isis |
| Notable Episodes | |
| Awards | |
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Contents |
[edit] Biography
JoAnna Cameron was an only child born to restauranteur parents. Throughout her high school years, she was often the stand in chef at her family's establishment, due to her mother's illness. JoAnna also starred in many school plays and was quite musically proficient. In the latter half of the sixties, she relocated to Orange, California with her family, to pursue a degree in Drama and English. It was at U.C. Riverside where JoAnna Cameron was discovered by a talent scout.
A former Vogue model, she was widely favored by casting agents because of her natural qualities and beauty. Steven Stern, director of "B.S. I Love You" directed her first commercial. In 1968, at Linda Hope's insistence and without a screen test, she read for Bob Hope and was cast in "How to Commit Marriage" with only the one commercial to her credit. Several other films followed and Cameron was set to be cast in "Love Story" opposite Ryan O'Neal. However, the role of "Jenny" eventually went to Ali MacGraw. Later, Gulf & Western CEO Charles Bluhdorn - who incidentally shared Cameron's birthday - selected her to appear in Neil Simon's "Star Spangled Girl". Paramount President Stanley Jaffe opposed her casting, and Robert Evans mediated between Bluhdorn and Jaffe. The role would ultimately go to Sandy Duncan. In addition to her movie credits, JoAnna also appeared in numerous TV movies, episodic television and well over one hundred commercials.
Today, she is widely known for her titular role as "Isis" in CBS's live action Saturday morning show. She continued her acting career into the early 1980's and was in several productions with Roger Staubach and the USN. In the late 1970's, Cameron starred in and directed many on board promotional videos for the Navy. After leaving the entertainment industry, she became a home health care practitioner and is now involved in hotel marketing and management in Hawaii.
[edit] Roles
[edit] Starring Roles
| Series | Role | Year(s) | Season(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isis | Andrea Thomas / Isis | 1975–1976 | 1 | 2 |
[edit] Guest Starring Roles
[edit] Specials and Made-for-TV Movies
| Title | Role | Airdate | Series/Banner |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Great American Beauty Contest | Gloria Rockwell | February 13, 1973 | |
| A Time for Love (credited as Joanna K. Cameron) | Mini | March 3, 1973 | |
| Sorority Kill | unknown | March 5, 1974 | |
| Night Games | Thelma Lattimer | March 16, 1974 | Petrocelli |
| Negative Reaction (credited as Joanna Cameron) | Lorna McGrath | October 15, 1974 | Columbo |
| It Couldn't Happen to a Nicer Guy | Wanda Olivia Wellman | November 19, 1974 | |
| High Risk | Sandra | May 15, 1976 | |
| Swan Song | Karen | February 8, 1980 |
[edit] Talk, News and Game Show Appearances
| Series | Episode | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson | May 18, 1978 | |
| The Merv Griffin Show | July ??, 1978 | |
| The Mike Douglas Show | Sept ??, 1978 |
[edit] Director
- Blue Angels in Razor Sharp (1982): also Producer, Voiceover/narration
- Legendary Personalities: Footage compilation, co-host, Blackhawk Films
- Navy Network: host, closed circuit US Navy promotional programming
[edit] Memorable Moments
- In the "Isis" series, JoAnna's character would incant "Oh zephyr winds which blow on high, lift me now so I can fly" before spinning upwards and flying away.
[edit] Awards and Accolades
- Has been voted one of the "Five most beautiful women in the world" by the International Academy of Beauty
[edit] Trivia
- Considered the "Queen of Commercials" in the 1970's. Held several Guinness world records for appearing in the most commercials. (100+ commercials)
- Was romantically linked to Sir David Frost.
- Holds degrees in both Drama/English and Marketing/Management
- An accomplished cook and baker, avid golfer, animal lover and outdoor enthusiast of cycling, sailing, skiing, diving, horseback riding
- Some sources have claimed that JoAnna Cameron is very distantly related to Director James Cameron.
- During the filming of "Pretty maids all in a row" the studio publicized that Rock Hudson was "dating" JoAnna Cameron.
- It has been noted that "Blue Angels in Razor Sharp" partly inspired the subsequent production of "Top Gun"
- Played the first superheroine in TV history to headline her own weekly series
[edit] External Sites
- JoAnna Cameron Interview (circa 2002/2003) http://www.angelfire.com/tv2/isis/cameron2.html
- A synopsis of JoAnna Cameron's film appearances http://franklinmintblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/joanna-cameron.html
- CBS Publicity Stills for Isis http://web.archive.org/web/20060621062455/marvelfamily.com/tv-movies/isistv/photogallery/
- Additional CBS Stills http://www.angelfire.com/tv2/isis/images.html
- Various USN era photos and publicity stills http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0175818/resumephotos
- Publicity still w/Blue Angels circa 1977 http://www.blueangels.org/NANews/PPPMAST/Sep77/Sep77.htm
- VH-1 Where Are They Now?: Superheroes Photo Gallery http://www.vh1.com/photos/gallery/?fid=1475595&pid=1535011
- NBC's Westwind http://www.70slivekidvid.com/westwind.htm
