MALIBU—On a sunny weekday in Malibu, the gorgeous iconic star Joan Benedict Steiger plays the perfect hostess. Just back from a ride in her Jaguar convertible, the lady who is the widow of famed veteran actor Rod Steiger is always the picture of perfection and always on time. I had a little emergency before our interview, but she was gracious and supportive of the situation. That’s who Joan has always been. Steiger has appeared in films, on TV and most importantly the Broadway stage. “I love the stage. That is the place where you receive immediate gratification. There is nothing like the energy you feel coming from the audience and if you are making any mistakes, you know quickly to change gears and to do it some other way. I love that type of flying by the seat of your pants-styled acting,” said Joan.

With decades of stage, screen, and television work under her professional belt, the love of three handsome and caring husbands in her life, who all left too early in her opinion, the star is best known for her acclaimed performance as Leona Helmsley, who was once considered the meanest woman in America. “It’s amazing how women are vilified for being protective of their husbands and loved ones, while men are honored for it,” said the actress. The Brooklyn, N.Y. star dreamed of being a dancer as a little girl and so far Joan shows no signs of slowing down. Nursing her 9-year-old Shih Tzu back to health after a scratched cornea, Joan seems tireless. “There’s just so much more to do in life both professionally and personally. And this is the sweetest dog I’ve ever owned. He’s gained most of his eyesight back, which was a surprise to the vet, but not me. You know that I believe in positive thinking and that’s how I faced this latest situation,” said Joan. “Whether it’s as a career move or just in one’s personal life, you have to view things in the positive and it will work out.”

Nursing her dog back to health was perhaps preparation for her role as a doctor in the upcoming feature film “Dead Border,” which is directed by famed writer filmmaker Barb Doyon, who is a writer on the project as well. “Barb Doyon was wonderful to work with. She’s very talented, Tommy, you’d love to work with her. Firstly, I hadn’t been to Palmdale [California] in 20 years. It used to just be a desert, but when we arrived, I thought, where are we going to shoot in the desert? Then I could not believe what a huge metropolis it’s turned into. Not as big as L.A., but certainly not a little desert town anymore either. We filmed our scenes with no problems and it was great playing a doctor. That was a first for me,” said the star.

Starring in a horror film was a lot of fun for Joan, who worked on the project with actors Kenneth Dixon, Frances Black, Elizabeth Goldstein, Stefanie Stevens and Ashley Wynn. “I was in my element with such great young stars, and Doyon is such a prolific writer. The material was great,” she said. Word is the film is about vampires, joining the long list of successful recent vampire films such as the the “Twilight” series and on HBO’s “True Blood,” not to mention the CW’s “Vampire Diaries” and SYFY’s “Being Human.” For her part, Steiger is mum on the specifics. “I can tell you that I enjoyed playing Dr. Charlotte Barnes and you will love the story, which has many shocking twists, and already we know it will be a sequel,” concluded Steiger.

Joan’s most recent appearance was on TV’s “Dollhouse” in 2009.