Collins, Joan 1933–

(Joan Henrietta Collins)

PERSONAL: Born May 23, 1933, in London, England; daughter of Joseph William (a talent agent) and Elsa (Bessant) Collins; married Maxwell Reed (an actor), 1952 (divorced, 1956); married Anthony Newley (an entertainer), 1963 (divorced, 1971); married Ron Kass (a record producer), 1972 (divorced, 1984); married Peter Holm, 1985 (divorced, 1987); married Percy Gibson, February 17, 2002; children: (second marriage) Tara Newley, Alexander Newley; (third marriage) Katyana Kass. Education: Attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. Hobbies and other interests: Traveling, collecting eighteenth-century antiques, cinema, and reading.

ADDRESSES: Office—c/o Paul Keylock, 16 Bulbecks Walk, South Woodham Ferrers, Chelmsford, Essex CM3 5ZN, England. Agent—(theatrical) Peter Charlesworth, Peter Charlesworth & Associates, 68 Old Brompton Rd., London SW7 3LZ, England; (publicity) Stella Wilson Publicity, 293 Faversham Rd., Seasalter, Whitstable, Kent CT5 4BN, England; (literary) Jonathan Lloyd, Curtis Brown & Associates, Haymarket House, 28/29 Haymarket, London SW1Y 4SP, England; (U.S. agent) Jack Gilardi, 8942 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211.

CAREER: Actress in stage productions, including A Doll's House, Arts Theatre, London, England, 1946; Last of Mrs. Cheyne, London, England, 1979–80; Private Lives, Aldwych Theatre, London England, 1990, then Broadhurst Theatre, New York, NY, 1992, and U.S. cities; Love Letters, U.S. cities, 2000; and Over the Moon, Old Vic, London, England, c. 2002. Actress in films, including I Believe in You, 1952; The Woman's Angle, Stratford, 1952; Judgment Deferred, Associated British, 1952; Decameron Nights, Film Locations, 1952; I Believe in You, Universal, 1953; Cosh Boy, Lippert, 1953; Turn the Key Softly, Arvis, 1953; The Square Ring, Republic, 1953; Our Girl Friday, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1953; The Adventures of Sadie, 1953; The Good Die Young, Independent Film Distributors, 1954; Land of the Pharaohs, Warner Bros., 1955; The Virgin Queen, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1955; The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1955; Lady Godiva Rides Again, Carroll, 1955; The Opposite Sex, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1956; The Wayward Bus, 1957; Island in the Sun, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1957; Sea Wife, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1957; Stopover Tokyo, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1957; The Bravados, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1958; Rally 'Round the Flag Boys!, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1958; Seven Thieves, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1960; Esther and the King, 1960; Road to Hong Kong, United Artists, 1962; One Million Dollars, Columbia, 1965; Warning Shot, Paramount, 1967; Subterfuge, Com-monwealth United Entertainment, 1969; If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium, United Artists, 1969; Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?, Regional, 1969; Up in the Cellar, American International, 1970; The Executioner, Columbia, 1970; Tough Guy, 1970; Terror from under the House, Hemisphere, 1971; The Quest for Love, Rank, 1971; Revenge, 1971; "All through the House," Tales from the Crypt, 1972; Fear in the Night, International, 1972; The Aquarian, 1972; Tales that Witness Madness, Paramount, 1973; Dark Places, Cinerama, 1973; State of Siege, Cinema V, 1973; Alfie Darling, EMI, 1974; I Don't Want to Be Born, 1976; The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones, Universal, 1976; The Devil within Her, American International, 1976; The Great Adventure, Pacific International, 1976; Empire of Ants, American International, 1977; The Stud, 1978; The Big Sleep, Trans-American, 1978; Sunburn, 1979; The Bitch, Brent Walker, 1979; Game for Vultures, 1979; Zero to Sixty, 1979; A Game for Vultures, New Line Cinema, 1980; Homework, Jensen Farley, 1982; Nutcracker, Rank, 1982; Georgy Porgy, 1983; Decadence, 1993; In the Bleak Midwinter, Sony Pictures Classics, 1995; Line King: Al Hirschfeld, 1996; The Clandestine Marriage, 1999; The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas, 2000; Ozzie, 2001; and Ellis in Glamourland, 2004. Television performances include appearances in "The Galatea Affair," The Man from U.N.C.L.E., National Broadcasting Company (NBC), 1966; "The Wail of the Siren," Batman, American Broadcasting Companies (ABC), 1967; "Ring around the Riddler," Batman, ABC, 1967; "The City on the Edge of Forever," Star Trek, NBC, 1967; "The Lady from Wichita," The Virginian, NBC, 1967; "Nicole," Mission: Impossible, ABC, 1969; "Five Miles to Midnight," The Persuaders, ABC, 1972; "The Man Who Came to Dinner," Hallmark Hall of Fame, NBC, 1972; "Hansel and Gretel," The Persuaders, ABC, 1972; Drive Hard, Drive Fast, NBC, 1973; "Five Miles to Midnight," The Persuaders, ABC, 1975; Arthur Haily's The Moneychangers, NBC, 1976; Mission Impossible, 1976; "The Trick Book," Police Woman, 1976; "Turnabout," Fantastic Journey, NBC, 1977; "Starsky and Hutch on Playboy Island," Starsky and Hutch, 1978; "Mission of the Dariens," Space 1999, 1979; "Georgy Porgy," Tales of the Unexpected, NBC, 1979; "My Fair Pharaoh/The Power," Fantasy Island, ABC, 1980; Dynasty, ABC, 1981–89; Paper Dolls, ABC, 1982; The Making of a Male Model, ABC, 1983; "The Captain's Crush/Off-Course Romance/Out of My Hair," The Love Boat, ABC, 1983; My Life as a Man, NBC, 1984; The Cartier Affair, NBC, 1984; Sins, Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), 1985; Monte Carlo, CBS, 1986; Fame, Fortune, and Romance, syndicated, 1986; To Tell the Truth, NBC, 1990; Dynasty: The Reunion, ABC, 1991; Tonight at 8:30, 1991; Mama's Back, 1992; "Collins Meet Coward," A&E Stage, Arts & Entertainment, 1992; "First Question, Twice Removed," Roseanne, ABC, 1993; Annie—A Royal Adventure, 1995; Two Harts in 3/4 Time, 1995; "Me and Mrs. Joan," The Nanny, CBS, 1996; Pacific Palisades, 1997; Sweet Deception, Fox Broadcasting Company Family, 1998; "My Best Friend's Tush," Will & Grace, NBC, 2000; These Old Broads, 2000; and Guiding Light, CBS, 2002. Served as costume designer, The Cartier Affair, NBC, 1984; executive producer, Sins, CBS, 1986; executive producer (with Peter Holm), Monte Carlo, CBS, 1986; associate producer, "Collins Meet Coward," A&E Stage, Arts & Entertainment, 1992.

MEMBER: Actors' Equity Association, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Screen Actors Guild.

AWARDS, HONORS: Hollywood Women's Press Club Golden Apple Award, 1982, and 1983, for best actress in a TV drama for Dynasty; most popular actress, People's Choice Award, 1983, 1984; Golden Nymph Award, Monte Carlo Television Festival, 2001; named to Order of the British Empire, 2001; Annual Cable Excellence (ACE) Award, National Cable Television Association.

WRITINGS:

NOVELS

Prime Time, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1988.

Love and Desire and Hate, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1990.

Infamous, Dutton (New York, NY), 1996.

Star Quality, Hyperion (New York, NY), 2002.

Misfortune's Daughters, Hyperion (New York, NY), 2005.

BEAUTY BOOKS

Joan Collins' Beauty Book, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1980.

My Secrets, 1994.

My Friends' Secrets, 1999.

Joan's Way: Looking Good, Feeling Great, Robson Books (New York, NY), 2004.

OTHER

Past Imperfect: An Autobiography, W.H. Allen (London, England), 1978, revised edition, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1984.

Katy: A Fight for Life (memoir), Gollancz (London, England), 1982.

Three Complete Books (contains novels Prime Time and Love and Desire and Hate, and autobiography Past Imperfect), Wings Books (New York, NY), 1994.

Second Act: An Autobiography, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1997.

Memories from Mother, Benson Smythe (Wellsville, NY), 1998.

SIDELIGHTS: Actress Joan Collins grew up in a comfortable middle-class neighborhood in London, England. Attending the British Royal Academy of Dramatic Art for two years, she made her London stage debut in 1946 in A Doll's House and her British film debut in 1952 with I Believe in You. The teenage actress made ten more movies within the next three years—in most, playing an erring juvenile—and by the age of twenty she was offered a motion picture contract with Fox Studios in the United States. Collins signed and moved to Hollywood, becoming the sultry leading lady in a string of undistinguished movies. By the early 1970s she was appearing primarily in forgettable horror films. Yet Collins effected a career comeback later in the decade with her notable portrayals in The Stud and The Bitch, saucy B-movies adapted from novels written by her sister, Jackie Collins, and produced by her third husband, Ron Kass. In 1981, after capturing the interest of television producer Aaron Spelling, the actress was cast in the role of sexy, scheming, wicked, and sophisticated Alexis Carrington on his prime-time television drama Dynasty. Called "the woman America loves to hate" Collins is credited with adding to Dynasty a spark previously lacking in the show. Since taking the role of Alexis, Collins has attained the fame and professional security that eluded her on stage and screen for most of her acting career.

Collins recounts her life in Past Imperfect: An Autobiography. Although the performer relates much about her acting career in the best seller, her primary focus is on emotional passages and sexual adventures. She discusses parties, clothes, lovers, husbands, and children in a manner that Times Literary Supplement critic Anita Brookner called "cheerful and resilient." "In the present book [Collins] has achieved has a respectable account of a certain form of emancipation (so much more interesting than liberation) which is familiar to many women of her age and upbringing," the reviewer remarked. "What we really need from her is a second volume in about fifteen years time."

In 1980 Collins's daughter Katyana was hit by a car and became comatose. Collins relates this disaster and the subsequent battle to bring her daughter to health and consciousness in her 1982 book, Katy: A Fight for Life. Two years later, after proving a popular success in Dynasty, the actress published a revised version of her autobiography in the United States. Less explicit than the original, the 1984 Past Imperfect omits some expletives and romantic interludes, examines the disintegration of Collins's third marriage, and presents a behind-the-scenes look at Dynasty and its cast. American critics were appreciative of this second bestselling edition. In the New York Times Book Review, Chris Chase called the actress's revised chronicle "sheer heaven." Christopher Schemering, writing in the Washington Post Book World, labeled Past Imperfect "the fun book of the season."

Critics also noted that the woman who played the dastardly Alexis Carrington is actually a likable person with a self-effacing wit that saves Past Imperfect from the stuffy egotism often witnessed in Hollywood autobiographies. "The lady definitely commands respect," wrote Tom Ward in the Voice Literary Supplement. "Not cold but tough, levelheaded, she seems ruthlessly self-critical, not in the least agog at the trappings of stardom." Los Angeles Times reviewer Elaine Kendall commented that although "Collins' prose style seems directly derived from the romance novelists," filling "the gaps between all those perfect teeth are detailed accounts of the theatrical career, critical lumps taken in good spirits, successes celebrated and embarrassments noted."

About thirteen years after Collins published the revised version of Past Imperfect, she published another memoir titled Second Act: An Autobiography. She again writes about her life from childhood onward, touching on her marriages and long and varied career as an actress, and offering personal remembrances of her encounters with well-known stars. Collins also discusses her literary life, including a chapter on her court case involving Random House when the publisher tried to take back an advance given for one of her romantic novels because it deemed the manuscript of poor quality. Collins emerged victorious. Reviewing Second Act for Booklist, Ilene Cooper wrote: "As with so many other aspects of Collins' career, good or bad doesn't seem to matter … she'll [always] be laughing all the way to the bank."

Collins' romantic novels are mostly centered around the entertainment industry. Infamous, for example, focuses on an aging Hollywood actress, Katherine Bennet, who plays a character similar to Alexis Carrington on an American prime time soap opera. Bennet has a problematic life at work and at home when she begins a relationship with a questionable Frenchman, Jean-Claude Valmer. Writing in People, Alex Tresniowski commented that the novel, "a perfectly coherent if overripe showbiz saga, proves that Joan is fully capable of turning out readable junk."

Better received was Star Quality, a novel that follows the lives of three generations of women who become famous actresses. The story begins in World War I with Millie McClancey, who goes from being a maid in a manor house to a music hall star in both Great Britain and the United States. Her daughter Vickie becomes a famous Hollywood film actress in the 1940s. Vickie's daughter Lulu reaches stardom as both a model and soap opera star during the 1980s. Praising Collins' ability to capture the tone of each time period, Booklist contributor Mary Frances Wilkens called the book "a delicious romp."

Collins' Misfortune's Daughters only has an indirect relationship with Hollywood, but critics noted that it followed the formula of her other novels. Two rich sisters at the center of the plot are the daughters of a Hollywood star, Laura Marlowe, and her rich Greek husband, Nicholas Stephanopolis. Venetia looks like her mother, is favored by her father, and becomes self-destructive. Atlanta looks like her father, is ignored by him after her mother dies under suspicious circumstances, goes missing for a time, and reemerges to triumph after extensive cosmetic surgery. The pair lead somewhat tragic lives as they travel and live around the world. Atlanta eventually finds a successful career in publishing and attracts suitors, while Venetia continues to spiral downward. "Collins's patented glitz and overheated plotting keep the pages turning," attested a Publishers Weekly reviewer.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Collins, Joan, Katy: A Fight for Life, Gollancz (London, England), 1982.

Collins, Joan, Past Imperfect: An Autobiography, revised edition, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1984.

Collins, Joan, Second Act: An Autobiography, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY), 1997.

PERIODICALS

Booklist, August, 1997, Ilene Cooper, review of Second Act, p. 1842; October 1, 2002, Mary Frances Wilkens, review of Star Quality, p. 275.

Los Angeles Times, April 10, 1984, Elaine Kendall, review of Past Imperfect, p. 16.

New York Times Book Review, May 6, 1984, Chris Chase, review of Past Imperfect, p. 28.

People, April 8, 1996, Alex Tresniowski, review of Past Imperfect, p. 33.

Publishers Weekly, February 14, 2005, review of Misfortune's Daughters, p. 55.

Spectator, October 30, 2004, Deborah Ross, "True to Herself: Deborah Ross Talks to Joan Collins about Lipstick and Ukip and Finds She Is as Glamorous and Game as Ever," p. 14.

Times Literary Supplement, Anita Bookner, review of Past Imperfect, July 7, 1978, p. 758.

Voice Literary Supplement, June, 1984, Tom Ward, review of Past Imperfect, p. 3.

Washington Post Book World, April 15, 1984, Christopher Schemering, review of Past Imperfect.

ONLINE

Joan Collins Home Page, http://www.joancollins.net (October 22, 2005).