Interview by: Rob Chilton © OK MAGAZINE
Percy Gibson, Joan Collins’s husband, smiles and answers the door to their elegant New York City apartment on the eight floor, just around the corner form Central Park.
The previous evening the 40-year-old theatre producer had seen Dame Judi Dench in Mrs Henderson Presents and raves about her performance, as well as the film debut of Pop Idol winner Will Young.
Then, seemingly appearing out of nowhere comes Joan.
Warm and friendly, stylish and with a big smile, she sits down and immediately starts talking about her three children. Percy joins her on the sofa and they stroke each other’s shoulders affectionately. The couple have three homes in London, the South of France and this fabulous apartment in New York City, which they moved into in September 2002.
OK! Stepped inside the cosy pad and chatted happily with Joan and Percy, who seem just as in love as they were when they shared their wedding day with us in February 2002. Here they talk to OK! About
strange autograph requests, Joan’s time on Dynasty, how they fell in love and what makes their marriage work. Joan also reveals all about her experiences shooting Footballers’ Wives while Percy described their exciting new stage show . . .
What’s your favourite way to spend an afternoon together?
Percy: We love to go and cuddle up in a little film theatre and catch a movie.
Joan:
Then we order a pizza. I eat the cheesy bit and Percy eats the crusts. And we play Scrabble together – Percy always wins.
Percy: I cheat!
Are you a very romantic couple?
Percy: We’re very affectionate with each other.
Joan:
We say ‘I love you’ once a day but we’re not gooey like Jessica and Nick – that lasted a long time, didn’t it?! The thing which is great about our relationship is that we were really good friends for nine months before we got married. The turning point came when I was up for a role in Will & Grace, a show that I love. It all went wrong, there was a huge kerfuffle and I became quite upset. I was in floods of tears at my home in LA. Percy arrived and suddenly here
was this manly chest to lean on [laughs]!
Percy: I felt terrible for her and so I tried to comfort her. I guess I found a way! That was the first time we were physical with each other.
Joan: It was what the French Call a coup de foudre, or ‘lightning bolt’.
Were you worried your friendship would be ruined if things didn’t work out romantically?
Joan:
We were concerned about the age gap and about how my children would take it. But it was kismet.
What made you decide to get married?
Joan: 9/11. We found it incredibly upsetting, as did everyone. We could have been in the World Trade Centre. We realised that life is short. I believe in marriage – which I know makes some people laugh because I’ve done it so man times – but we love each other so we went for it. Percy’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
Percy, what makes Joan a good wife?
Joan: My cooking [laughs].
Percy: Actually, Joan’s a great cook. She does a fantastic roast chicken and her spaghetti Bolognese is terrific. She likes to take life by the throat and enjoy it to the full. Our senses of humour are very compatible and we have fun. She sails through everything in life and that’s a wonderful energiser for me.
Has time passed quickly since you got married in February 2002?
Percy: [laughs]! Very!
Joan: And never a cross word.
Really!
Joan: Of course not, don’t be made! Not with Percy being a Libra and me a Gemini. We have the odd discussion or argument but basically we agree.
What do you disagree about?
Percy: Silly things [smiles]. I forget to give Joan messages.
Joan: It’s my lack of concentration or doing three things at once that annoys him.
Do you like to have time apart sometimes?
Joan: We spend practically 24 hours a day together and we love it.
Percy: A lot of people spend time apart because they’re so involved in their careers. By the time they retire, they realise they’ve spent most of their time away from their wives and children so I think it’s important to turn the tables.
Joan:
The only time we’re apart is when Percy visits his mother in Glasgow. And at night Percy watches golf in one room and I watch Desperate Housewives - I’m addicted! It’s just so funny. I’d love to be in it.
Is there a chance of that?
Joan:
I wanted to play one of their mothers. I suggested it in an interview and the newspapers turned it into a huge story. They then said I was broken-hearted when I didn’t get the role of Teri Hatcher’s mother which was totally untrue.
One part you did get was in our very own Footballers’ Wives. How was that? Was it grueling?
No – once you’ve worked on Dynasty, you can do anything.
But I was amazed that none of the actors had stand-ins. I had never seen that in all my years in the business. The actors have to sit there while the lighting crew do their work. That’s hard. I had a stand-in but I didn’t use her because I was too embarrassed. I didn’t want to be the only person who used one.
It sounds like you’ve been busy lately . . .
Joan: Yes, it’s been great. Being an actress is like being a book in a leading library.
You sit there and on one wants to borrow you. Then suddenly, everyone wants you. I’ve done Have I got News For you Too.
That was a brave decision. Were you scared of those guys?
Joan: Scared of them? Not at all. It was fun.
What’s the new stage project you’re working on now, Percy?
Percy: I’m co-producing a revival of a hilarious comedy called Legends. It’s slated for Broadway in May 2007 after a 30-week American and Canadian tour. Joan will star in it.
Joan: It’s about two actresses who hate each other and have fallen on hard times but refuse to admit it. One has spend her life playing sluts, vamps and bitches while the other one did the saints, nuns and goody two-shoes. Guess which part I play?
Who is starring in it?
Joan: Linda Evans, my old friend from Dynasty. There’s going to be a lot of glamour, a lot of excitement and some great one-liners. It’s very Krystle and Alexis.
Do you still get royalties from Dynasty?
Joan: I get paid nothing. Nothing, darling! There are some actors who have good agents and sing good deals when they get residuals and there are some actors that don’t. None of us on Dynasty got residuals but we got a pay-out at the end. We were told that, because the show was a serial, it wouldn’t have a long life and people wouldn’t show any interest. And of course it became one of the most popular shows of all times.
What are you Christmas plans?
Joan: We’re going to Acapulco for Christmas and New Year with my daughter Katyana and lots of our friends. Percy will play golf and I’ll read books. I’m collecting books now – I need to read at least two a day . . .
Two books a day?!
Percy: She motors through them. If something doesn’t grab her in the first 20 pages it’s out.
Joan:
I’m a writer so I want to be grabbed. I don’t want to be educated. I want to be entertained.
There are some silly things we’d love to ask. Is it true you were once asked for an autograph in a public toilet?
Joan: That happened during the Dynasty days. I was in a cubicle and the girl next door, who had seen me walk in, asked me for my autograph. I asked her if it could wait until I came out but she said she’d like to now and passé a piece of paper under the door.
We hear you’ve ended your feud with Gordon Ramsay? [Gordon threw Joan out of his restaurant because she was having dinner with a restaurant critic he disliked.]
Joan: There was never a feud. I did his show The F Word and he was quite friendly. But his food is too complicated for me.
One last question – is it true that you once told Cilla Black: ‘Never date a man with grey chest hair’?
Joan: It was a joke. Bit it’s a good line! |
