Matinee Classics - Joan Collins Biography & Filmography

Joan Collins ACTOR

PHOTOS

JOAN COLLINS BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Joan Collins was born on May 23rd, 1933 in Paddington, London in England with the middle name Henrietta born to Joseph William Collins, a South African father and Elsa Collins, from Britain. She had one sister and one brother and received her early years education at Francis Holland High School. Later she went on to study at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. By the age of seventeen, Collins was already signed to a contract with, J. Arthur Rank Film Company, a British film studio.

She is most well known for her role on the television series, "Dynasty" (1981) where at one point she was being paid $120,000 per episode. During the final season of "Dynasty" she was only in 13 of the 22 episodes as the producers could not afford to pay her salary for every episode.

Joan began her career in the industry as a stage actress first appearing in a production of, "A Doll's House" at the age of nine. When she turned twenty two she made the move to the United States and settled in Hollywood where she began appearing on a number of films such as, "Lady Godiva Rides Again" (1951), "Land of the Pharaohs" (1955), "The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing" (1955), "Island in the Sun" (1957) and "Rally Round the Flag, Boys!" (1958).

In addition to film work she also appeared on a variety of television series such as, "Police Woman", "The Virginian", "Batman", "Star Trek", "Fantasy Island" and "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.".

Other film roles she later added to her credits were in, "The Bitch" (1979) and "The Stud" (1978), both films made from her sister's novels which were highly successful. She also added to her resume over time roles in, "Decadence" (1994), "A Mid Winter's Tale" (1995), "Alice in Glamourland" (2004), "Fetish" (2010), "Rules of Engagement" (2010) and soon to release in 2012, her most recent role in, "Saving Santa 2012".

Along with working in film, Collins returned to her roots of stage acting and was seen in such plays as, "The Last of Mrs. Cheyney" (1980), "Private Lives", "Love Letters" and "Over the Moon". In 2006 she toured the United Kingdom with her own show called, "An Evening With Joan Collins" and also toured with the play, "Legends!".

In addition to acting, Collins was also given the opportunity to produce as well as star in the CBS mini-series, "Sins" and "Monte Carlo" (both 1986). When her most popular television role on "Dynasty" came to an end she embarked on a new career as a writer and published her first book, "Prime Time" in 1988. Since then, Collins has published a number of other books such as, "Love & Desire & Hate", "Infamous", "Star Quality", "Misfortunes Daughters", "The Joan Collins Beauty Book", "My Secrets", "My Friends' Secrets", "Joan's Way", "The Art of Living Well" and "The Joan Collins Cook Book".

Collins has a very entrepreneurial spirit and also released her only exercise video at the age of sixty titled, "Joan Collins Personal Workout". She is also involved in a number of charitable causes such as being named a patron if the International Foundation for Children with Learning Disabilities as well as being named an honorary founding member of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. She is also very involved with Breast Cancer Awareness and became a patron of the Shooting Star Children's Hospice in Great Britain in 2003.

She has never neglected her acting career and has returned several times to guest appear on such television shows as, "Will & Grace", "Roseanne", "The Nanny", "My Riviera" and "Guiding Light". She has also added to her resume numerous commercial and advertisement appearances for such products as, British Airways, Cinzano, Canada Dry, Sanyo, Marca Braveria Beer, Old Navy, Marriott hotels and Snickers among many other products many for British television.

Collins also has a singing talent he has shared over the course of her career. In 1959, she performed live, "It's Great Not To Be Nominated" at the Academy Awards and has done the vocals for a couple songs in such films as, "The Road to Hong Kong" (1962). She also performed a song in an episode of, "Dynasty" and also released a solo single of John Lennon's song, "Imagine".

Joan Collins has received numerous awards throughout her career in entertainment some of which include, A Golden Apple Award as Female Star of the Year in 1982, A Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1983, The People's Choice Award for Favorite Female television performer in 1984 for her role in "Dynasty", A Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005 and an icon Award from Maxim Magazine in the United Kingdom in 2002 among many others.

She has married five times throughout her lifetime. First to Maxwell Reed from 1952 through 1957. She then married Anthony Newley in 1963 and they had two children before this marriage ended in divorce in 1971. Her third husband was Ronald S. Kass whom she wed in 1972 and they had one child before this marriage came to end in 1984. She then married for a fourth time to Peter Holm in 1985 but this marriage also ended in divorce just two years later. Her fifth and final husband was Percy Gibson whom she married in 2002 and remains together with today. In addition to her numerous marriages she has had published affairs with a number of other men such as, Dennis Hopper, Arthur Loew Jr., Sydney Chaplin, Ryan O'Neal and George Englund.