Actress Joan Van Ark is married to a newsman, John Marshall of a Los Angeles television, and her 'Knots Landing' character, Val, is marrying a newsman on the show this week. But the similarities end there, Van Ark says.
'I've known my husband since we were high school students in Boulder (Colo.),' she said. 'Our marriage took place on a military base in Germany. Believe me, it was nothing like the marriages Val has gone through.' For that matter, Van Ark isn't even sure she likes Val. 'She's simply not enough fun,' Van Ark said. 'Val is like a good many women I know in real life. She's always there when someone needs her. Basically she's a goody-two-shoes, and I'm not.' Van Ark says every now and then she lobbies the producers to enliven Val's existence with some elegant parties 'so we can all dress up.'
