itions ▁Category : 2 0 1 7 ▁mer gers ▁and ▁ac quis itions <0x0A> </s> ▁Joan ▁Marie ▁Sever ance ▁( born ▁December ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 1 9 5 8 ) ▁is ▁an ▁American ▁actress ▁and ▁former ▁fashion ▁model . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Joan ▁Sever ance ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Houston , ▁Texas , ▁the ▁daughter ▁of ▁Mar tha ▁and ▁John ▁C . ▁Sever ance . ▁Her ▁father ▁was ▁an ▁IBM ▁Systems ▁Manager ▁who ▁had ▁to ▁move ▁frequently ▁around ▁the ▁world . ▁" By ▁the ▁time ▁I ▁was ▁ 1 1 ," ▁said ▁Sever ance , ▁" we ' d ▁lived ▁in ▁ 1 2 ▁different ▁places ." ▁She ▁and ▁her ▁family ▁also ▁lived ▁in ▁Lib ya , ▁but ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁had ▁to ▁fle e ▁the ▁country ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁Six - Day ▁War . ▁They ▁left ▁the ▁Middle ▁East ▁and ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁sett ling ▁in ▁Houston , ▁Texas . ▁ ▁Sever ance ▁attended ▁West bury ▁High ▁School ▁and , ▁at ▁age ▁ 1 5 , ▁started ▁model ing ▁to ▁make ▁money ▁for ▁college . ▁Although ▁she ▁hoped ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁veter in arian , ▁she ▁could ▁not ▁afford ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁tu ition . ▁After ▁appearing ▁in ▁the ▁" Miss ▁Houston " ▁beauty ▁contest , ▁she ▁was ▁discovered ▁by ▁Alan ▁Martin , ▁a ▁local ▁photograph er ▁in ▁Houston ▁who ▁introduced ▁her ▁to ▁John ▁Cas abl anc as . ▁Cas abl anc as ▁signed ▁her ▁up ▁with ▁the ▁El ite ▁model ing ▁ag ency ▁and