joan collins | biography (born 1933) / gallery

Joan Collins
Actress

Born 1933

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Great Star

Daughter of a London theatrical booking agent, Joan Henrietta Collins made her showbiz bow in a production of The Doll's House -- in a male role. She was 9 years old then, and it would be the last time there would be any doubt as to her gender.

With the sort of glamorous countenance that prompted people to ask "why aren't you in movies?", the 5ft 6 Collins first appeared before the cameras in a small role as a beauty contestant in Lady Godiva Rides Again (1953).

She made an auspicious American debut as an Egyptian temptress in Land of the Pharoahs (1955).

This assignment led to a contract with 20th Century-Fox, where despite a few good dramatic parts (Girl on the Red Velvet Swing [1955] in particular) and an adroit comic characterization in Rally Round the Flag, Boys (1958), she was written off by critics as decorative but nothing more.

Joan Collins

Offscreen she cut quite a swath through the tabloid headlines; if her autobiography, Past Imperfect is to be believed, she dallied with virtually every male actor in Hollywood. She has been married five times. Her first husband, the actor Maxwell Reed, tried to sell her to an Arab sheik for Ł10,000, just seven months after their wedding.

She had a very public divorce with fourth husband Peter Holm in the 80s. From her second marriage to Anthony Newley, she had two children and another with her third husband, Ronald Kass.

Her maturation from mere personality to superstar came about when she was cast in 1981 as glamorous and predatory Alexis Carrington on Dynasty.

Despite professional and personal setbacks, Collins has managed to survive in an industry that swallows up lesser starlets on an average of ten per hour.

Nor is Joan the only Collins with talent and charisma; her sister Jackie Collins is a highly successful romance novelist, whose books The Bitch and The Stud were turned into films, both starring sibling Joan.