Joan Allen was born on August 20, 1956 in Rochelle, Illinois. In a family of housewife Dorothy Allen (née Wirth) and auto mechanic Jeff Allen, she was the youngest of four children.

She attended Rochelle Township High School, where she was an honor student, sang in the choir and played the cello. Then at Western Illinois University in Macomb, which she graduated from in 1976, and then at Eastern Illinois University. In 1977 she joined the theater company "Steppenwolf" and began performing on stage.

The actress began her acting career in the famous Chicago troupe "Steppenwolf Theater Company" under the direction of John Malkovich. In the early 80s she began acting in the theater, as well as appearing in low-budget series. Her film debut was a small supporting role in the film "Compromising Positions."

In 1988 she appeared on Broadway in Lanford Wilson's play "Burn This," for which she received a Tony Award. She appeared in films rather rarely, and none of the roles made her a star, but everything changed in 1995 after Oliver Stone's film "Nixon," where Joan played the president's wife. This role brought the actress well-deserved fame; she was nominated for an Oscar and a BAFTA Award.