Joanna as Goulande in Pelleas
Goulande is the gender swapped role based on a modern adaptation of Maurice Maeterlinck’s play and Claude Debussy's opera Pelléas et Mélisande, where instead of Prince Goulad, Joanna plays Princess Goulande—and her two younger lovers. The look board for casting was based on French actress Jeanne Moreau and Hollywood's Eva Green. To prepare for the role and the stalking of her two younger lovers as they become a love triangle, Joana used animal work in her actin—to create her intensely piercing eyes, she envisaged hawk like activity, and worked with her make up artists to enhance this hawk bird like effect..
Joanna as Audrey in Diva
Joanna has won multiple awards for best actress for Audrey. She practiced rock climbing to prepare for the role, as well as undertake the characters the actress in the movie plays.
Joanna as Dylan, Lady of the Manor, 1950s
Joanna was cast for her "British elegance," which worked perfectly in a period drama when performance and character are aslo linked to etiquette, voice and posture. Joanna worked with her voice coach Sarah Rayani for strong, sharpened and slower RP.
Joanna as Mary
Joanna played Mary in Irvine Welch's Creation Stories executively produced by Danny Boyle. Typical to an Irvine Welsh character she played a northern British school teacher who was a drug addict. Joanna practiced shooting up in her trailer with belt and prop needles. The movie was set in 1980s and involved full permed hair and rock'n roll leather. She worked on the anxiety and addiction in her physicality.
Joanna as Mrs. Beehive
Joanna played Mrs. Beehive the CEO of corporate media news channel for A Dubai TV series (pilot). She worked on power stances, a calm steady control that was more cutting, delivering short directives with commanding tones, listening attentively, as well as holding back charm and likability for the stern, solid, business character in charge.
Lady Macbeth for stage and film
Joanna worked on Lady Macbeth to not portray crazy, violent evil but a Celtic warrior fighting for her country as a Queen would, ambitious, determined, fearless and ruthlessly focused to the task at hand–to win the crown. Joanna approached the character from that of male attributes we would want in a King in those times, rather than the crazy female that has been wrongly attributed to Lady Macbeth one of the most fierce roles in drama to perform. Joanna brought her to life on stage in Paris and Pittsburg, USA and for TV series Actors On.
Joanna as Sarah Nobles
Joanna tackled this role to address immigration issues and raise awareness. Mrs. Nobles finds out her cleaner is not legally allowed to work in the USA. Joanna worked on the superficial politeness to her cleaner up until the point she realizes, where the character's judgement and narrow mindedness must show. The film won independent awards and the director, Israel Brooks, said Joanna was emotionally moved between takes and a super bitch on action.
Laurie Addis in Street Smart
Joanna performs stay at home wife to a detective in a gritty New York cop show.
Joanna as Marilyn Monroe
Joanna was cast as Marilyn Monroe in a production that cancelled due to the pandemic.