Joan Toepfer has been described as a "tour de force" within the theater and film community. Throughout her life, she starred in numerous professional productions both on and off-broadway. In the early 1990s, garnering respect within the acting community from her stage work, Joan began her film career. An early standout, despite joining the industry at 75, Mrs. Toepfer earned rapid respect and accolades with her work on screen. While sticking to mostly independent film work, an active choice believing big Hollywood "stifled artistic integrity", Joan Toepfer managed to star in several acclaimed films before her work was eventually cut short due to her advancing age. Despite her limited work on-screen Joan Toepfer has become a pillar in the industry, known to artists all across Hollywood.