Joan Cusack
An American actress who turned nervous energy and quirky charm into an art form, becoming the definitive best friend and scene-stealer in countless films.
Born 1962 (age 64)·American actress·Birthday: October 11·Baby Boomers
Biography
Growing up in the famously creative Cusack family in Chicago, Joan Cusack carved out a space entirely her own. With a voice that could crack with anxiety or soar with sudden joy, she specialized in characters who were wonderfully, relatably off-kilter. She didn't just play sidekicks; she made them the emotional anchor, as seen in her Oscar-nominated role as the loyal best friend in 'Working Girl.' Cusack's genius lies in finding the profound humanity within the comic neurosis, whether she's a jilted bride in 'In & Out' or a desperately loving mother in 'School of Rock.' Her career is a masterclass in how character acting, done with this much intelligence and heart, can become the soul of a story.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Joan was born in 1962, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Joan Was Born
The biggest hits of 1962
#1 Movie
Lawrence of Arabia
Best Picture
Lawrence of Arabia
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Joan's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1962Born
Cuban Missile Crisis brings the world to the brink
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,800Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Stranger on the Shore" — Acker BilkBest Picture: Lawrence of Arabia
1967Started school
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1975Became a teenager
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1978Could drive
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1980Could vote
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1983Turned 21
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1992Turned 30
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2002Turned 40
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2012Turned 50
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
2022Turned 60
Russia invades Ukraine; Queen Elizabeth II dies
Gas: $3.97/galHome: $348,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"As It Was" — Harry StylesBest Picture: Everything Everywhere All at Once
2026Age 64 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Earned Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress for 'Working Girl' (1988) and 'In & Out' (1997).
- Won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her role on the TV show 'Shameless.'
- Voiced Jessie the cowgirl in the blockbuster 'Toy Story 2' and 'Toy Story 3,' bringing the character's heartfelt yearning to life.
- Played the fan-favorite role of Sheila Jackson across 11 seasons of the Showtime series 'Shameless.'
Did You Know?
She is a member of the famed Chicago improv troupe The Second City, where many comedians launch their careers.
She turned down the role of Peggy Bundy on 'Married... with Children,' which later went to Katey Sagal.
She earned a degree in English from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Her brother is actor John Cusack, and they have appeared in several films together, including 'High Fidelity' and 'Grosse Pointe Blank.'
“I like playing people who are kind of on the edge of having a fit.”
