In late April, a red carpet event was held for Warner Bros.’ “Television Out Of The Box” exhibit at the Paley Center in Beverly Hills, CA. This interview came from that event. To read all of KSiteTV’s “Out Of The Box” coverage and previous interviews so far, go here.
While at the event, we spoke with many icons of television from the past and the present, and one of the most gracious and interesting folks we spoke with was Joan Van Ark, who played Gary Ewing’s wife Valene on a handful of episodes of Dallas before spinning off into their own series, the long-running Knots Landing. We’re posting this interview in a Q&A style with questions in bold.
The Ewings of Dallas are returning soon (on TNT June 13). Is there any chance we might see Valene on this new show?
Well, rumor has it… I’m having lunch with Ted Shackelford tomorrow. They asked him to come down and be part of it. It was several months ago, and he’s deeply into filming The Young And The Restless, the daytime soap for CBS. But if they asked Gary, maybe they’ll ask [for Val].
What do you think Val would be up to now, 20 years later?
First of all, I think she’d be the most successful. She was always the put upon, goody two shoes. I’d like to have her running a movie studio out here in Hollywood. I’d love her to do a 180 from what they ever expected.
Back when we first saw Val, J.R. had done whatever he could to make her life miserable and put her away.
They were rivals.
Would you like to see her have revenge?
There is no doubt about it. This man I loved so much, Larry Hagman… I was just at his birthday party several months ago… I would kill, that if Val came back, if it was trouble for J.R.. Because they were always at odds. I don’t know if it’s because she stole his baby brother away, and she was ‘white trash,’ or what the whole deal was… ‘but ah wanna get mah claws into that J.R., ah swear!’
Speaking of enemies of Val, how would she react to Abby if she saw her again?
Ahh. That’s a good question. I think she’d try to give Abby a run for her money.
What would you like to see upstairs in the TV Out Of The Box exhibit?
I would just hope to see something from the cul-de-sac. There are still tourists who go out there; we filmed out in Granada Hills. But I’m hoping there’s something from the cul-de-sac.
Have you ever gone out there yourself, just to visit?
Not to visit. I was there so many days and nights, and windstorms, and rainstorms, and fights, and high drama… No.
We may have some more “Television Out Of The Box” content left to come, so keep coming back to KSiteTV! You can find seasons of Knots Landing on DVD; hopefully, the more they sell the better the chances will be that we’ll eventually have more!
