Horror Crush: Joanna Going

As I get back into the swing of writing on this site on a regular basis, I feel the need to induct more beautiful actresses into Horror Crushes. The last four ladies have all been blondes, so I think we are all in need of some dark haired ladies. And, as brunettes are my preference (especially black hair!), we will do just that with the absolute stunner that is Joanna Going! 

Joanna Going was born on July 22, 1963 in Washington, DC. Her ancestry is Irish, by way of her dad, and French-Canadian from her mom's side. She began acting in 1986 with the soap opera Search for Tomorrow.

In 1991 she had the dual role of Victoria De Winters and Josette De Pres in NBC's revival of the classic gothic/ horror/ soap Dark Shadows. As such, she was one of the main protagonist and the reincarnated love interest of vampire Barnabas Collins (Ben Cross).

This is where I first saw her and first fell for her. Her exquisite and natural beauty made her standout immediately to my teen eyes. Though, to be honest, as much as I liked her it was bad girl Angelique, as played by the gorgeous Lysette Anthony, who I crushed on harder. I mean she was blonde, bad, and a witch. Of course, 14 year old me would have loved her more. But, this post is about Going and not her, so let us stay on track!

I remember liking the show and not just cuz I thought that Going and Anthony were hot. Though, to be fair that is a good reason for a teen horror fan to watch, right? I also recall Going being good in the roles, Any who, it failed at the ratings, apparently getting its undead ass handed to it by the Gulf War coverage. It ended on a cliffhanger involving Going's character having time traveled and about to getting burned at the stake for being unjustly called a witch. But, since there is only one seasons, we never got to see how she would get out of this shitty situation.

But, her actual induction comes thanks to her role in the 1998 Dean Koontz sci=fi/ horror adaptation of his novel Phantoms. In it, she plays Dr. Jenny Pailey who takes her Lisa (the lovely Rose McGowan) to Snowfeild, Colorado. They find no one alive, only corpses. They get joined by some cops led by Ben Affleck (who is apparently "the bomb" in this movie). They soon encounter a shape shifting alien life form that also has the ability to take over human hosts.

 

I actually saw this one in the movies. I've always found it to be a flawed but entertaining and kind of underrated flick, Yes, it borrows heavily from The Thing, but it is also a great way to kill some time. The flick has a nice look to it, with good use of shadows. There is also an impressive cast that includes Peter O'Toole and Liev Schreiber (who in the years since has become one of my favorite actors).

Plus, it had two dark haired babes in it! I was already a HUGE fan of McGowan as she was my favorite hottie in Wes Craven's Scream (sorry Neve Campbell fans), so she definitely made me wanna watch this one. Going is honestly a great choice to play her sis, and is really good in the role. She became my favorite of the two, as this movie solidified my massive, then college crush on her. All these years later, they remain a big draw for me and repeated viewings of this one.

She does not have any other horror roles, but can I state that she is still a stunner even at her current age of 63!

Joanna Going only had two roles in the genre, but she made them very memorable. With her excellent acting abilities and breathtaking beauty she will forever hold a special place in our hearts. One of the most naturally beautiful faces ever to grace the silver screen with those gorgeous big, dark brown eyes, And, thanks to all these reasons and more, Going is a very welcome addition to Horror Crushes!