The Amazing Life Of '80s Icon Dame Joan Collins

If we had to describe Dame Joan Collins using only three words, we'd probably choose "fierce," "glamorous," and "fabulous." Some people give off such a strong je ne sais quoi vibe that you can simply look at them and tell that they are special — Collins isn't just that kind of person now, but she has been for longer than some people's grandparents have been alive. In the 1950s, Collins emerged as a distinctive young adult with a palpable fire under her. By the 1980s, she solidified her place in history as a force to be reckoned with. 

It's rare to find a living celebrity with over 60 years of experience nowadays. It's even more rare when said celebrity is not only still working in their respective industry but respected by the public. For all that Collins has said and done over the years, however, she's remained adamant that she's not the hot shot that everyone makes her out to be. "I don't consider myself to be that famous. I can walk in a room and I might be recognized but I'm not a reality star," Collins told Time Out in 2017. No matter how much she's tried to say otherwise, there's no doubt: Collins has been an icon, a legend, and the moment for quite some time. If anyone's lived an extraordinary life, it's her. 

To get the full picture of Dame Joan Collins's stunning transformation, we need to go all the way back to May 23, 1933 — and then some. Collins was born in London to a family familiar with the arts: her mother was a ballroom dancer, while her father was a talent agent (at one point, Collins's father managed the Beatles). Collins's paternal grandfather was an impresario, while her paternal grandmother was also a dancer. 

Collins detailed her upbringing and early life to The Guardian in 2013. At the time, she described her mother as "a domestic goddess and Mother Earth figure," but her father as emotionally unavailable. "He strongly discouraged me from becoming an actress and warned I would be washed up by 23," Collins explained. "My grandmother spoiled my father rotten and he grew up expecting women to do whatever he wanted."

Like a lot of entertainers before her — Spencer Tracy and Laurence Olivier are two fish in a sea of examples — Dame Joan Collins hit the stage before the screen. In 1942, 9-year-old Collins made her acting debut in a production of Henrik Ibsen's "A Doll's House." Collins attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) as a teenager and, in 1950, was signed to the film company Rank Organisation.

Collins's early roles included a beauty contestant in "Lady Godiva Rides Again" (1951), Marina in "The Woman's Angle" (1952), and Evelyn Nesbit Thaw in "The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing" (1954). In the latter half of the decade, Collins portrayed Jocelyn Fleury in "Island in the Sun" (1957), Tina Llewellyn in "Stopover Tokyo" (1957), and Josefa Velarde in "The Bravados" (1958). "When I look back at all those parties and premieres I went to, I think about how I wasn't quite aware of how extraordinary it was that I got to work with Bette Davis or be the lead in a Fox picture," Collins remarked to Vogue in 2022. "I just sort of got on with it."

With a fierce personality and stunning face card, Dame Joan Collins has never seemed to have a problem attracting a partner. Keeping one, however, is a different story. Plenty of celebrities have been married at least five times, with Collins being one of them: She wed her first husband, Maxwell Reed, in 1952. Their relationship was tumultuous, and they separated in 1954; the divorce was finalized in 1956. 

In early 1963, Collins met Anthony Newley, another famous performer, during a production of "Stop the World — I Want to Get Off." After a whirlwind romance, the pair got married that May and welcomed two children: Tara, born in October 1963, and Alexander (also known as Sacha/Sasha), born in September 1965. Collins and Newley eventually divorced in 1971. "[Newley] was fabulous until he went off to make a movie about his life in which he went to bed with about 72 women," Collins told Kite Festival attendees in 2023 (via Daily Express). She alleged, "He was a serial womanizer."

Dame Joan Collins was everywhere in the 1970s. Her personal life aside (as interesting as it's always been), Collins appeared in so many TV shows that it's easy for a lot of them to slip under the radar. Here's a nowhere-near-complete list to jog everyone's memories: Collins starred in one episode of "Orson Welles Great Mysteries," an episode of "Space: 1999," two episodes of "Police Woman," one episode of "Starsky and Hutch," and every episode of the miniseries "Arthur Hailey's The Moneychangers."

What about movies? In the '70s, Collins starred in everything from British horrors to American comedies. She gained particular recognition for her roles in "Tales from the Crypt" (1972), "Empire of the Ants" (1977), "The Stud" (1978), and "The B***h" (1979). The latter two films were adaptations of books written by her sister, Jackie Collins (by the way, if you've never read a Jackie Collins book, here's where to start). 

We've got to give soap operas the credit they deserve: When it comes to consistency and longevity, especially in the United Kingdom and the United States, they're usually right on the nose. In the 1980s, "Dynasty" was one of the soaps that everyone and their mother had an opinion about – Princess Diana was even obsessed with this soap opera, according to her hairdresser. To make an extremely long story short, the ABC series followed the rich Carrington family and all the drama they found themselves in. 

Enter Dame Joan Collins: on "Dynasty," she portrayed Alexis Carrington (also known as Alexis Carrington Colby and Alexis Dexter), Blake Carrington's ex-wife. Out of all the characters introduced, Alexis was undoubtedly the resident villain. Between her dramatic arguments with other characters and contentious relationship with Blake, Alexis always seemed to have something to say. "I happen to think that Alexis was a very vulnerable and sad character," Collins remarked to People in 2023. "It was never mentioned that, perhaps, Alexis Carrington became somewhat of a b***h because of the way she was treated ... [She] was a big go-getter in terms of what she achieved. And if she tread on some people to get it ... Well, so did many men in business. They don't call men b*****s."

Dame Joan Collins won a host of awards in the 1980s, most of them for her portrayal of Alexis Carrington on "Dynasty." Collins was nominated for six Golden Globes between 1982 and 1987, for instance; she won once, in 1983. Her other awards and nominations during the era included one Golden Apple Award, three People's Choice Awards, and five Soap Opera Digest Awards, among others.

Although Collins didn't win every award she was nominated for, she did earn one particular grand slam: a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Collins's ceremony took place on December 14, 1983, and was introduced by chairman Johnny Grant. (Fun fact, by the way: In 1989, Grant made headlines when he confused Joan Rivers for Joan Collins at the former's own Walk of Fame ceremony.) Collins posted a throwback of the iconic achievement in a 2026 Instagram post. "One of the highlights of my career was to receive the coveted star on the [Hollywood Walk of Fame]," Collins captioned a black-and-white photo from the event. "I was so thrilled!"

Once upon a time, Dame Joan Collins and Random House had a seemingly cordial business relationship. In the early 1990s, Random House agreed to pay Collins a $1.2 million book advance in exchange for two manuscripts. By 1995, however, things soured: Random House rejected Collins's manuscripts and sued her for the advance back. Naturally, Collins countersued and argued that her manuscripts were completed, as requested. 

Who won the battle in 1996? Random House may have been big, but Collins was bigger — or at least more right in that particular instance. A jury determined that Collins mostly fulfilled her contract as asked, and as such, she was awarded $1 million and allowed to keep the advance. "[I'm] extremely happy. It's ended two years of absolute hell," Collins told reporters as she left the courthouse (via YouTube). "They don't want to pay this, but nobody held a gun to their head to give me all that money."

Dame Joan Collins's career continued to flourish as the 21st century came around, with plenty of film and TV roles to elongate her resume. At the time, Collins starred in movies like "The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas" (2000) and "Banksy's Coming for Dinner" (2009). Her TV credits included an episode of "Will & Grace," two episodes of "Footballers' Wives," and a recurring role on the soap opera "Guiding Light."

When Collins wasn't on-screen in the 2000s, fans and Broadway-goers could readily find her on the stage; she appeared in a 2001 production of "Moon Over Buffalo" (aka "Over the Moon"), a 2004 production of "Full Circle," and a 2006-2007 production of "Legends." In 2006, Collins launched her one-woman show, "An Evening with Joan Collins." The last batch of performances ran in 2014, though as of 2026, the show doesn't seem to be officially retired. "It's become a sort of fad in America," Collins told The Guardian ahead of her solo stage debut. When asked how she felt about her upcoming show, she said, "I'm not terrified of anything, except landing in bumpy weather, okay?"

Dame Joan Collins got married two more times after her divorce from Anthony Newley, though they didn't work out, either. She tied the knot with her third husband, Ron Kass, in March 1972; they welcomed a daughter, Katyana, that June and were divorced by 1983. Collins was married to her fourth husband, Peter Holm, from November 1985 to August 1987. "I don't want any more husbands," Collins remarked as she left the courthouse (via UPI). 

Despite what Collins said, she ended up falling for Percy Gibson, whom she met in 2000; they worked on the same play, "Love Letters." Although they share a 32-year age difference — not the most alarming age-gap relationship in Hollywood history, considering they were both well into adulthood — they got married in February 2002 and have remained husband and wife ever since. "He is a really nice, kind, grounded person," Collins told Fox News Digital in 2023. "Many of the people that I've been with — and I'm not going to specify which ones — have been either neurotic, slightly unbalanced, or gotten into different things."

What do Joan Collins, Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, and Julie Andrews have in common? They're all living Dames (also called Dame Commanders) of the Order of the British Empire. To receive such an extraordinary honor, one generally has to meet three qualifications: be a British citizen, be officially nominated, and contribute to society in some prolific, life-changing way. 

Collins was initially appointed an Officer of the OBE in 1997 for her acting career and philanthropy, an honor bestowed by the late Queen Elizabeth II. The queen upgraded Collins to Dame Commander for her continued work in 2015, with the ceremony held on March 26. Collins received the honor at Buckingham Palace from King Charles III, who was then Prince of Wales (lots of celebs have been knighted by King Charles, actually). "It was a huge honor. You can't go any higher than that," Collins told Larry King (via YouTube) in 2018. "Prince Charles said, 'About time, too,' which I thought was rather wonderful."

The more wealth, status, and public interest a famous person has, the more likely an autobiography becomes — especially if they've got a juicy personal life. Dame Joan Collins is so popular that she's published six big autobiographies and smaller memoirs over the years, not just one: "Past Imperfect" (1978), "Katy: A Fight for Life" (1982), "Second Act" (1996), "Passion for Life" (2013), "My Unapologetic Diaries" (2021), and "Behind the Shoulder Pads" (2023). 

Collins has written a lot more than autobiographies, too: As of 2026, Collins has authored 16 books in total. In need of some non-fiction self-help? Collins has several beauty and lifestyle guides to choose from, like "The Joan Collins Beauty Book" (1980), "My Secrets" (1994), and "Joan's Way" (2002). For those who enjoy fiction, Collins also has you covered: Check out "Prime Time" (1988), "Infamous" (1996), "Misfortune's Daughters" (2005), and "The St. Tropez Lonely Hearts Club" (2015). 

"I write in bed, on planes, under the hair dryer, on the set. Sometimes, I write 12 to 15 hours a day for a week, and then I don't touch it for a while," Collins told Vanity Fair in 1988. "It's erratic, because it's a second career for me." For those curious, Random House hasn't published any of Collins's books.

Dame Joan Collins never seemed to let fame and fortune get to her head; while she oozes confidence and has no problem saying what's on her mind, she's always come off as quite humble and self-aware in interviews. "One of the things I've learned about success is that it does not last," Collins once told Harper's Bazaar UK in 2021. "One of the things you have to do once you've climbed that ladder ... is to realize that the only way up is down."

When one thinks of the biggest philanthropists in Hollywood, a specific batch of celebrities usually come to mind: Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney, Dolly Parton, Angelina Jolie, etc. Collins's philanthropic efforts may not be as instantly recognizable to the masses, but it turns out that she's been a long-time believer in helping others and giving back. In 1994, for instance, Collins received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Breast Cancer Studies. 

So, what causes does Collins support? For several decades, Collins has donated to foster children in India, is a patron of the National Center of Learning Disabilities (formerly called the International Foundation for Children with Learning Disabilities), and serves as the Vice President of Shooting Star Children's Hospices. Collins is also heavily involved with organizations like Brainbox, Giving Tales, and the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children). 

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Dame Joan Collins's net worth in 2026 is approximately $20 million. What does one buy when they have so much money that they don't know what to do with it? While we don't know Collins personally, she did tell Vogue in 2019, "I really hope that people will spend more money on clothes, because nobody dresses up anymore ... I hate jeans. I hate them, they're so unflattering. And I hate jeans with holes in the knees, or holes anywhere."

Clothes aside, it's no secret that Collins appreciates a good vacation, something extra possible with all the properties she's owned, past and present. Collins owns a five-bedroom home on the French Riviera, where she's spent her summers for the past several decades. She previously owned a pied-à-terre in New York City, which she sold for $2 million in 2021, and a condo in Hollywood, which she sold for $4.4 million. When Collins isn't working or traveling around the world, her main residence can be found in Belgravia, one of the richest areas of London. Collins purchased the $3-million flat (apartment to Americans) over 30 years ago; she told Ideal Homes in 2023, "I love my homes, I nurture them and I constantly move the furniture, the pictures, and the objects."

Dame Joan Collins celebrated her 93rd birthday in May 2026, though based on how she carries herself, you wouldn't think she's a day over 50. For one, Collins is still acting with seemingly no plans to retire anytime soon. In January 2026, Collins starred as Francesca Carlyle in the film "A Murder Between Friends." Around the same time, Collins also portrayed Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor, in the upcoming biopic, "My Duchess" (initially called "The Bitter End"). 

Collins doesn't just have a bustling social media presence but appears to run things herself (probably with some help, but we digress). In August 2026, for instance, Collins shared an Instagram video of herself enjoying a meal at Le Club 55 — located on the French Riviera — with Percy Gibson and some pretty famous friends: Elizabeth Hurley, Damian Hurley, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Rene Horsch. How does Collins manage to remain so fabulous in her 90s? Fortunately for us, she's willing to spill all the deets. "I wake up every morning and breathe the air, try to get a good night's sleep, drink lots of water, and take care of myself," Collins told The Independent in June 2026. She added that she also enjoys watching "old movies" and simply "loves life."