Joan Collins She appeared very early – she was only nine years old when she appeared in the art of “Dolls House” by Henry Ibsen staged by The Arts Theater. She downloaded professional acting skills at the famous Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. After 18 months, her talent was noticed, which resulted in a prestigious contract with Rank Organization. The fruit of this cooperation were the films: “Our Girl Friday”, “I Believe in You” and “The Good Die Young”.
The real screen debut of Collins was the movie “Lady Godiva Rides Again” (1951). After several years of appearances in British paintings, the 20th Century Fox label decided to sign a contract with her as a response to the star of the MGM studio – Elizabeth Taylor. Collins even took part in trial photos for “Cleopatra”, but the title role was finally entrusted to Taylor. In 1955, Collins debuted in Hollywood in the film Howard Hawks “Earth Pharaohs”.
In the 1960s and 70s, Colins appeared in a number of American television productions. Among them were roles in the series “Batman”, “The Virginian”, “Mission: Impossible”, “Police Woman” and – the most famous of them – in the episode “The City on the Edge of Forever” Series “Star Trek”.
Later she became a producer and played in the “Sins” miniseries, she also took up the production of the “Monte Carlo” episode. The filmography of the actress are also titles such as “Hart to Hart”, “Annie: A Royal Adventure”, “Home Help” and six special parts “Pacific Palisades”.
In the 70s, the actress appeared in several softcore films that were screenings of her sister’s novel – Jackie Collins. These films have become considerable financial successes – “The Stud”, which cost barely $ 600,000, earned $ 20 million worldwide!
Having about 30 television productions, Joan Collins for many remains an unforgettable “villain” of the tapeworm series “Dynasty” in which she played in Alexis Carrington Colby.
In an interview with 2021, which the actress gave during the “Piers Morgan’s Life Stories” program, she confessed that the serial conflicts did not differ much from those played behind the scenes of the popular series. Collins revealed that she had to fight to increase her earnings, and the relationship on the set was far from ideal.
“John (Forsytheserial Blake – note ed.) He had a record in the contract, which said that she had to earn five thousand dollars more for the episode from other cast members, “she said and added that at the beginning of the photos her earnings were $ 15,000. While her serial colleague at that time collected $ 25 or even $ 30,000 per episode.” He always had to be in the center of attention, even in spots and sessions advertising the series had to be in the foreground, he always had to have more in the foreground, he had to be more issues ” – the star revealed.
At the peak of the popularity of the show, Collins earned up to 120 thousand. dollars for the episode, but with the proviso that it will occur in the middle of the episodes. “They couldn’t afford me,” she confessed. “When I returned to the first episodes of the series, I was impressed myself and to be honest, I think I should earn more then” – she added.
Her memories of the plan are not the most pleasant. Not only did she fall demanding higher wages, she also struggled with general reluctance. “I haven’t talked about it for many years, but the time has come to name things by name. Many people told me that they hate me on the set. To this day I meet with this reluctance. I remember my first scene, I sat on the bench of the accused, gave testimonies, I looked at the whole cast of the series and saw their reluctance” – she recalled.
It should not be forgotten, however, that Joan Collins is not only Alexis’s creation, she is also a recognized stage actress. Thornton Wilder played her first significant role on theater boards in theater boards. Other unforgettable productions with her participation are: “The Seventh Veil”, “Claudia & David” and “The Praying Mantis”. One of the last plays with her participation – “Private Lives” by Noel Coward became a cultural event at West End and Broadway, bringing Collins excellent reviews.
The actress swears that she never used and will never use botox, because the side effects of this method of fighting wrinkles are not known.
“I think this is a poison. I don’t believe in this method,” she said in the magazine “OK!” – “We do not know the side effects yet, which may be revealed after some time. And besides, I do not like this specific expression that gives botox,” she added. Collins believes that you can go back years without such drastic methods. “I think that I look pretty good for my years, and I owe a lot to the regime that I give my skin. I do not expose myself to the sun, I have a positive attitude to life and keep the right weight” – she concluded.
In the recently published diary “My Unapologetic Diaries” criticized known women for abuse of plastic surgery, especially … Linda Evans and the Kardashian family.
After the Oscar gala in 2011, Collins was hospitalized. The reason was too … a tight dress that the actress presented. “It was undoubtedly a very tight dress,” Collins admitted. “I squeezed into her and decided to give up food at the party,” she added. Dizziness forced Collins to leave the party. After going out into the fresh air, the star lost consciousness.
Collins’s first husband was Maxwell Reed. When they met, she was only 17 years old, and he was 31. Their relationship was unsuccessful from the beginning, he survived only four years.
Joan applied for divorce with Maxwell, but she was still at Hollywood parties, where she played with, among others Marilyn Monroe. On one of them she met her second husband, singer Anthony Newley, for whom she married in 1963. This marriage broke up after a few years, because the musician notoriously betrayed the actress. The third husband of Collins was Ron Kassa, head of the Beatles music label, and the fourth Scandinavian singer Peter Holm.
Happiness was found only alongside the fifth husband of Percy Gibson, the theater producer, for whom she left in 2000. “Finally, I found my real soul mate. This is my husband forever,” she said in a documentary about 32 years younger.
Collins for her merits in the field of art, as well as charity work in 1997 was awarded the Order of the British Empire of the 4th grade, and in 2015 Queen Elizabeth II honored her with the same Order of the Second Class (DBE), which entitles Collins to the noble title Dame. The actress has long been involved in the activities of institutions acting, among others, in defense of the rights of the child, for the benefit of impaired and crippled children, and for women at risk of breast cancer. She is the founder of one of the parts of the children’s hospital in Michigan.