Joan Collins is first and foremost an actress, but she is also a best-selling author, an accomplished producer, a
successful entrepreneur and a devoted mother.
The daughter of theatrical agent Joe Collins and his wife Elsa, Joan Collins was born in London and made her London stage debut at the age of nine in Ibsen’s A DOLLS HOUSE at the Arts Theatre. She became a student at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art when she was 16 and after less than a year was signed to an exclusive film contract by the J. Arthur Rank Organization.
Under that British contract Joan made several films and
also built a successful stage career. Her first major theatrical role was as Sabina in Thornton Wilder's THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH, and other leading roles included THE SEVENTH VEIL, THE PRAYING MANTIS, JASSY and CLAUDIA & DAVID. After working in films and television for several years, Joan Collins returned to the British stage in 1980 to play the title role in the Chichester Festival Theatre's production of THE LAST OF MRS. CHEYNEY, which soon moved to the West End and played
to sell-out houses throughout its run. In 1990, Joan played Amanda in a revival of Noel Coward’s PRIVATE LIVES, which won her outstanding reviews both in the West End and on Broadway. In 2000, she completed an American tour of LOVE LETTERS opposite Stacy Keach; in 2001, she starred in Ken Ludwig’s OVER THE MOON at London’s Old Vic Theater; in 2004 she toured the UK in Alan Melville’s FULL CIRCLE; in 2006 she presented her one woman show ‘AN EVENING WITH JOAN COLLINS’ on
tour in the UK and in the 2006-2007 season she toured the US with James Kirkwood’s comedy LEGENDS.
Nominated for an Emmy award and winner of the Golden Globe and People’s Choice Award, as well as numerous other awards worldwide, Joan appeared in more than 60 feature films and dozens of television programmes. Some of her more memorable films are THE GIRL IN THE RED VELVET SWING, RALLY ROUND THE FLAG BOYS, THE VIRGIN QUEEN, THE BRAVADOS, THE OPPOSITE SEX, LAND OF THE PHARAOHS,
ROAD TO HONG KONG and THE BIG SLEEP. She has worked with great movie legends including Richard Burton, Bing Crosby, Bette Davis, Kirk Douglas, Gene Kelly, Laurence Harvey, Bob Hope, James Mason, Robert Mitchum, Paul Newman, Gregory Peck, Edward G. Robinson, Rod Steiger, Joanne Woodward, Sir John Gielgud and Sir Nigel Hawthorne. She has guest starred in some of the most popular TV series, such as STAR TREK, STARSKY & HUTCH, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, LOVE BOAT, THE PERSUADERS,
SPACE 1999, BATMAN, THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E., POLICEWOMAN, BARETTA, THE NANNY, WILL & GRACE, ROSEANNE and most recently FOOTBALLERS WIVES and HOTEL BABYLON.
She produced and starred in SINS, a six-hour mini-series for television that topped the ratings in the US. Following its huge success Joan also produced and starred in MONTE CARLO, a four-hour mini-series with George Hamilton.
Joan Collins is internationally renowned for her role as Alexis Carrington Colby
in DYNASTY, one of the most highly rated evening TV dramas of all time. For eight years, viewers were treated to a weekly dose of Alexis' elaborate schemes for power, money and love, during the course of which Joan created one of televisions most popular characters, and etched a place for herself in Hollywood history. DYNASTY continues to be aired worldwide. In 1997, Alexis was reunited with Aaron Spelling and guest-starred in several special episodes of his nighttime drama PACIFIC
PALISADES and in 2006, she reunited with the cast of DYNASTY in CAVIAR AND CATFIGHTS: THE DYNASTY REUNION.
Recently Joan has starred in the following films: Steven Berkoff's DECADENCE; Kenneth Branagh’s IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER, a film that premiered at the Venice Film Festival to critical acclaim; Andrew Lloyd Webber’s JOSEPH & THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, with Donny Osmond and Richard Attenborough; THE CLANDESTINE MARRIAGE, an 18th century period comedy with the
late Nigel Hawthorne; the Flintstone’s prequel movie VIVA ROCK VEGAS, executive produced by Steven Speilberg; HART TO HART movie of the week with Robert Wagner and Stephanie Powers; ANNIE: A ROYAL ADVENTURE; and THESE OLD BROADS, a TV Movie of the Week with Elizabeth Taylor, Shirley MacLaine and Debbie Reynolds.
Joan Collins is also a Best Selling Author and has published thirteen books, beginning in 1985 with her first best-selling autobiography, PAST
IMPERFECT, which she followed with THE JOAN COLLINS BEAUTY BOOK. Her debut novel, PRIME TIME, was published in 1988 and her second novel, LOVE & DESIRE & HATE followed in 1990. Her beauty book MY SECRETS was published in 1994 and remained on the best-selling list for over three months. Another novel TOO DAMN FAMOUS also went into the best-selling lists in 1995. Her second autobiography, SECOND ACT, also went straight into the best-seller lists and she then wrote a
sequel to MY SECRETS entitled MY FRIENDS SECRETS. Another novel, STAR QUALITY came out in 2002 and was quickly followed by a beauty book JOAN'S WAY in October of the same year. Her latest novel, MISFORTUNE’S DAUGHTERS, was published last year and in October 2006 her inspirational self help book “THE ART OF LIVING WELL” was published by Source Books. Joan has been consistently voted one of the “World’s Most Beautiful Women” by Harper’s Bazaar, Good Housekeeping, TV Guide and other of the worlds’ most prestigious magazines.
Joan Collins has three children: A son, Sacha, and two daughters, Tara and Katy. She is deeply concerned about children the world over and is an honorary founding member of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. She has supported several foster children in India for 25 years. Since 1983 she has been a patron of the International Foundation for children with Learning Disabilities and in March 1988 the Foundation awarded her with its highest
honour for her continuing support and special interest. In May 1988 the Joan Collins Wing of the Children’s Hospital of Michigan was opened and, in November 1994, the Association of Breast Cancer Studies presented Joan with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her unceasing humanitarianism and is a tireless worker for may UK charities associated with breast cancer and children. She is a patron of The Shooting Star Hospice, which opened its doors to terminally ill children and
their families, thanks in part to fundraising efforts led by Joan. In February 2002 Joan married Theatrical Manager Percy Gibson and they live happily between New York, Los Angeles, London and the South of France.
In 1997 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II presented Joan Collins with the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.) for her lifetime contribution to the arts and her continuing charity work.
Updated: 16 April 2008
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