Biography
Her physical beauty - which was often likened to a British Elizabeth Taylor - was a drawback in her earlier career, which found her playing wayward girls and wantons. After a short stint in Hollywood, during which she dated numerous studs of the time, including Warren Beatty, she drifted into B-grade pictures for over a decade before being cast as the venomous Alexis Carrington in "Dynasty." Her overripe performance launched a thousand similar …
Latest Tv Credits
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Career Milestones
1945 | London stage debut as a boy in "A Doll's House" |
1951 | Film debut in uncredited role as a beauty contestant in "Lady Godiva Rides Again" |
1951 | First small film role in "The Woman's Angle" |
1952 | Appeared in revue "Rat's Revel Society" on London stage |
1955 | Portrayed Evelyn Nesbit Thaw in "The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing" |
1956 | Cast in "The Opposite Sex," a remake of Clare Boothe Luce's play "The Women" |
1962 | Appeared with Bob Hope and Bing Crosby in "The Road to Hong Kong" |
1967 | Acted in two-part epiosde of "Star Trek" (NBC), "The City on the Edge of Forever", playing Captain Kirk's love interest |
1967 | Played Lorelei Circe-the Siren in "Ring Around the Riddler" and "The Wail of the Siren" episodes of "Batman" (ABC) |
1969 | Acted opposite then-husband Anthony Newley in Newley's film "Can Hieronymous Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happinesss" |
1972 | Portrayed Lorraine in the Hallmark Hall of Fame adaptation of "The Man who Came to Dinner" (NBC) |
1976 | First time acting in a miniseries, "Arthur Hailey's 'The Moneychangers'" (NBC) |
1978 | Appearance in a steamy film version of her sister's book "The Stud" helped revive her stalled career; followed with "The Bitch" (1979), also adapted from sister's work |
1980 | Returned to London stage in "The Last of Mrs. Cheyney" |
1981 | Starred as Alexis Carrington Colby on ABC's primetime soap "Dynasty" (not in the original cast when the show premiered in January of 1981) |
1982 | Played the witch in "Hansel and Gretel" episode of Showtime's "Faerie Tale Theatre" |
1983 | Posed in a "50 Is Beautiful" spread in Playboy magazine |
1985 | Debuted her Joan Collins Eyewear Fashion Line |
1986 | Executive produced and starred in "Sins" and "Monte Carlo", both CBS miniseries |
1988 | Published first novel, "Prime Time" |
1990 | Legendary agent 'Swifty' Lazar negotiated a cotract with Random House, guaranteeing her payment of $4 million for two novels even if the manuscripts were rejected for publication |
1991 | Reprised Alexis role in ABC's "Dynasty: The Reunion" |
1992 | Associate producer and star of A&E's "Collins Meets Coward", performing three one-act plays by Noel Coward |
1992 | Made Broadway debut as Amanda in Noel Coward's sophisticated comedy "Private Lives" |
1995 | Portrayed the evil Lady Edwina Hogbottom in "Annie: A Royal Adventure", an ABC movie |
1996 | Gave her signature diva role a new spin as a frosty agent in Kenneth Branagh's "A Midwinter's Tale" |
1996 | Made headlines when Random House sued her for return of her $1.3 million advance after rejecting her manuscript; Collins won the case, receiving an additional $1.3 million and the rights to publish her novel outside the USA |
1997 | Recruited by executive producer Aaron Spelling to add her champaign fix to the short-lived primetime soap "Pacific Palisades" |
1997 | Subject of "Joan Collins" for A&E's "Biography" |
2000 | Appeared in the play "Love Letters" |
2001 | Had co-starring role in the ABC movie "These Old Broads" |
2001 | Headlined the London production of the stage comedy "Over the Moon" (titled "Moon Over Buffalo" when it played on Broadway) |
2002 | Appeared in a limited run on the legendary daytime soap opera "Guiding Light" |
2004 | Toured the United Kingdom with a revival of the play "Full Circle" |
2006 | Joined forces with Linda Evans on the Broadway stage in "Legends!" a comedy by Tony Award-winning author James Kirkwood |
2006 | Toured in "A Night With Joan Collins," a one-woman show in which she detailed the highs and lows of her roller coaster career, directed by her husband Percy Gibson |
Awards
1981 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama in Dynasty |
1982 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama in Dynasty |
1983 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama in Dynasty |
1984 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama in Dynasty |
1984 | Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in Dynasty |
1985 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama in Dynasty |
1986 | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama in Dynasty |