Joanna Gaskell attended East 15 Acting School in London, UK, graduating with her M.A. in Acting with distinction in 2007. She stayed on in the UK for a short time, working in independent film and travelling pantomime, until returning to Canada in 2008. In Vancouver, Joanna entered the professional film and theatre scene, quickly making a name for herself as a versatile performer.
In 2021, Joanna starred in feature film Who Am I Now? by writer/director Louise Lathey, which garnered international attention for its honest and realistic portrayal of the identity struggles of a pair of women struggling with their sexuality. It was picked up for distribution by Gravitas Ventures, and achieved worldwide release in July of 2021. Joanna also portrayed Candy in the the 2014 cult favourite web mini-series Humans & Households, and guest starred in 2015 fantasy series One Hit Die.
In 2016, Joanna performed as the lead in the Canadian premiere of the one-woman show Grounded, by George Brant, as part of the Vancouver Fringe Festival, and received very positive reviews. Critics specifically praised Joanna's balance of "toughness and aggression with an intense vulnerability" (Meghan Bell, Room Magazine),"intensity and passion" (Kit Martens, Plank Magazine) and "exquisite" attention to detail (Darren Barefoot, Vancouver Observer).
