Taylor was born Rose Marie Emma in Geneva, Illinois. Her father, Joseph Emma, from Sicily, was a prop man in Hollywood in the 1920s. After his daughter's birth he became the manager of the Deerpath movie theatre in Lake Forest, Illinois, where Joan was brought up and a Hollywood prop man. Her mother Amelia Berky, was from Austria, and was a vaudeville singing-dancing star in the 1920s.
Taylor's career began at the Pasadena Playhouse. She met Freeman there when both were involved with putting on Here Comes Mr. Jordan. In the early 1950s, she was chosen by Paramount Pictures as a member of the studio's "Golden Circle", described as a "group consisting of a dozen unusually talented young actors for whom Paramount held high hopes." Her first film was Fighting Man of the Plains, starring Randolph Scott. Her Producer had also insured the 19-year-old's legs for $100,000 against injury.
Taylor married Leonard Freeman, later the creator of Hawaii Five-O, in 1953. The couple had three daughters. After her contract for The Rifleman ran out, she retired from acting to raise her children.
Her television career consisted of guest appearances on popular shows, in only one or two episodes. However, she had a successful recurring role in eighteen episodes of The Rifleman, starring Chuck Connors from 1960-1962.
When Freeman died in January 1974, following heart surgery, Taylor began managing Leonard Freeman Productions and the Business of Hawaii Five-O under the name Rose Freeman. She attended at least one Hawaii Five-O convention to talk to fans.
With her children older, she found herself writing, including co-author credit for the comedy Fools Rush In starring Matthew Perry and Salma Hayek. She remarried, to television producer-director Walter Grauman in 1976; the couple divorced in 1980.
Taylor died of natural causes March 4, 2012, in Santa Monica, California.
