Joan Collins | |
|---|---|
_cropped.jpg) Collins in 2010 | |
| Born | Joan Henrietta Collins (1933-05-23)23 May 1933 (age 91) Paddington, London, England |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1951–present |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 3, includingTara andAlexander |
| Relatives | Jackie Collins (sister) |
| Website | www |
| Signature | |
 | |
Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author and columnist. Active in film and television since the 1950s, she portrayed the glamorous schemerAlexis Colby in the nighttime soap operaDynasty (1981–1989). She is known for her roles incult films includingLand of the Pharaohs (1955),Tales from the Crypt (1972),Empire of the Ants (1977) andThe Stud (1978) and for television appearances inStar Trek (1967),Tales of the Unexpected (1979, 1980),Benidorm (2014–2017) andAmerican Horror Story: Apocalypse (2018).
Collins trained as an actress atRADA and made her film debut in 1951. After going under contract to20th Century Fox, she starred asEvelyn Nesbit inThe Girl in the Red Velvet Swing,Elizabeth Raleigh inThe Virgin Queen (both 1955) andEsther in theepicEsther and the King (1960). In the 1970s, she appeared in severalBritish horror films includingFear in the Night (1972),Dark Places (1973) andI Don't Want to Be Born (1975). Her part as Fontaine Khaled in 1978'sThe Stud and its 1979 sequelThe Bitch led her to be cast inDynasty; for her role asAlexis Colby, she won theGolden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama in 1982. In the 2000s, Collins notably appeared inThe Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000) and the TV movieThese Old Broads (2001) alongsideElizabeth Taylor,Debbie Reynolds andShirley MacLaine. She made her comeback to mainstream television in the 2010s, taking on recurring roles in series includingHappily Divorced (2011–2013) andThe Royals (2014–2018). Her first starring film role since the 1980s wasThe Time of Their Lives (2017), and she has also appeared in variousindependent films includingGerry (2018).
Collins is the recipient of several accolades, including aGolden Globe Award, aPeople's Choice Award, twoSoap Opera Digest Awards and aPrimetime Emmy Award nomination. She was awarded a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame in 1983 and was made aDame by QueenElizabeth II for her charitable services in 2015.
Collins was born inPaddington, London on 23 May 1933,[1][2] and brought up inMaida Vale, the daughter of Elsa Collins (née Bessant), a dance teacher, and Joseph William Collins, a talent agent[3] (whose clients would later includeShirley Bassey,the Beatles andTom Jones).[3] Her father, a native of South Africa, wasJewish, and her British mother wasAnglican.[4][5][6][7] She had two younger siblings,Jackie, a novelist, and Bill, a property agent.[8][9] She was educated at theFrancis Holland School, an independent day school for girls in London.[10] Collins made her stage debut in theHenrik Ibsen playA Doll's House at the age of nine, and at the age of 16 trained as an actress at theRoyal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. At the age of 17, Collins was signed to theRank Organisation, a British film studio.[11]
After signing with Rank, Collins appeared in many British films. Her feature debut as a film extra playing a beauty contestant inLady Godiva Rides Again (1951) which featuredDiana Dors.[12][13] Collins followed up withThe Woman's Angle (1952) a minor role as a Greek maid. Next was a more significant role as a gangster's moll inJudgment Deferred (1952).
Collins's big break came with a major, highly publicised role as a juvenile delinquent inI Believe in You (1952). Her success in the part led to her initial stardom and the press nickname "Britain's Bad Girl". Her subsequent films whilst under contract to Rank includedDecameron Nights (1953) withJoan Fontaine; England's firstX certificate drama,Cosh Boy (1953), directed byLewis Gilbert;Turn the Key Softly (1953), a drama about three women released from prison on the same day; and the boxing sagaThe Square Ring (1953).
Collins was top-billed in thedesert island comedyOur Girl Friday (1953), co starringKenneth More. She was directed again by Lewis Gilbert inThe Good Die Young (1954) withLaurence Harvey andGloria Grahame. Between films, she appeared in several plays in London includingThe Seventh Veil (1952),Jassy (1952),Claudia and David (1954), andThe Skin of Our Teeth (1954), as well as a UK tour ofThe Praying Mantis (1953).
In 1954, Collins was chosen by American directorHoward Hawks to star as the scheming Princess Nellifer in her first international production,Land of the Pharaohs. The lavishWarner Brothers historical epic was unsuccessful upon release but has been lauded byMartin Scorsese and French critics supporting theauteur theory for numerous elements of its physical production.Danny Peary in his bookCult Movies (1981), selected it as acultclassic.[14] Collins's sultry performance so impressed20th Century Fox chiefDarryl Zanuck that he signed the young star to a seven-year contract with the Hollywood studio.
Collins made her Hollywood film debut in the lavish historical dramaThe Virgin Queen (1955). The British newcomer was given equal billing with established starsBette Davis andRichard Todd. The same year, Collins was cast in the starring role ofEvelyn Nesbitt inThe Girl in the Red Velvet Swing withRay Milland andFarley Granger. The part had originally been intended forMarilyn Monroe, however problems between Monroe and Fox led to Collins gaining the role.[15]
MGM borrowed Collins forThe Opposite Sex (1956), a musical remake ofThe Women (1939) in which she was cast as the gold digging Crystal, the role played byJoan Crawford in the original. She then starred as a young nun inSea Wife (1956), top-billed over co-starRichard Burton, followed by the all-starIsland in the Sun (1957), which was a major box-office success. The film earned $5,550,000 worldwide, and finished as the sixth-highest-grossing film of 1957.[16] In 1957, she was top-billed overJayne Mansfield in the film version ofJohn Steinbeck'sThe Wayward Bus, which despite disappointing reviews[17] was nominated for the Golden Berlin Bear Award at the7th Berlin International Film Festival.[18] She then starred oppositeRobert Wagner in the espionage thrillerStopover Tokyo (1957), and wasGregory Peck's leading lady in the Western dramaThe Bravados (1958). TheLeo McCarey comedyRally Round the Flag, Boys (1958) cast Collins as a temptress out to seducePaul Newman away fromJoanne Woodward. Next came the tense crime caperSeven Thieves (1960) oppositeEdward G. Robinson andRod Steiger.
In 1960, Collins became increasingly disillusioned with 20th Century Fox when, having been the original choice to play the title role inCleopatra, the part went instead toElizabeth Taylor. Collins withdrew from the studio's production ofSons and Lovers, and requested a release from her contract, but agreed to star in one last film for Fox, top-billed again in the biblical epicEsther and the King (1960).
In 1961, she returned to London to star oppositeBing Crosby andBob Hope in the last of that film duo's "road" pictures,The Road to Hong Kong (1962). Former "road" leading ladyDorothy Lamour was relegated to a guest appearance in the film. In Italy, Collins starred inHard Time for Princes (1965); back in the US she playedDavid Janssen's wife in the detective thrillerWarning Shot (1967); in the UK she was the leading lady in the spy caperSubterfuge (1968); and made a cameo appearance in the comedyIf It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969).
In the US, Collins starred opposite her husbandAnthony Newley in his autobiographical musicalCan Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness? (1969), a decision she later regretted.[19] Then came the female lead in the Italian dramaL'amore brave (1969),The Executioner (1970), a thriller with George Peppard, andUp in the Cellar (1970), a quasisequel toThree in the Attic. Although she had made several appearances on interview and game shows in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Collins began her television dramatic career with a guest role inThe Human Jungle in 1963. Her notable appearances on American television during the 1960s included playing the villainous Siren inBatman,Run For Your Life,The Virginian,Mission: Impossible,The Man From U.N.C.L.E., and inStar Trek: The Original Series, she played Edith Keeler in the episode, "The City on the Edge of Forever" (1967).
In the 1970s, Collins remained busy on television. She starred in the TV moviesThe Man Who Came to Dinner (1972) withOrson Welles andLee Remick, andDrive Hard, Drive Fast (1973) oppositeBrian Kelly. Her many guest appearances during the decade includedThe Persuaders! alongsideRoger Moore andTony Curtis,Fallen Angels withSusannah York,Space 1999,Orson Welles Great Mysteries,Police Woman,The Moneychangers withKirk Douglas andChristopher Plummer,Starsky and Hutch,Tattletales,Switch,Future Cop,Ellery Queen,The Fantastic Journey,Baretta and three separate episodes ofTales of the Unexpected. She rounded off the decade playing Cleopatra in an episode ofAaron Spelling'sFantasy Island.
In 1970, Collins returned to Britain and starred in several films, mostly thrillers and horror films:Revenge (1971), as the vengeance-seeking mother of a murdered child;Quest for Love (1971), a romantic science-fiction piece;Tales from the Crypt (1972), a highly successful horror anthology;Fear in the Night (1972), a psychological horror fromJimmy Sangster;Dark Places (1973), a thriller withChristopher Lee; andTales That Witness Madness (1973), another horror anthology. She went to Italy for the football-themed comedyL'arbitro (1974), to Spain forThe Great Adventure oppositeJack Palance and returned to England for yet another horror, playing the mother of a murderous infant inI Don't Want to Be Born (1975).
After two comedies,Alfie Darling (1975) andThe Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones (1976), Collins returned to the US to make what she now refers to as the nadir of her film career, the giant insect science-fiction pieceEmpire of the Ants (1977). In Italy she was the leading lady in the thrillerFearless (1978); in the US made the lightheartedZero to Sixty (1978); and back in the UK appeared withRobert Mitchum inThe Big Sleep.
In 1978, Collins was catapulted back to major stardom in the UK when she starred in the film version of her sisterJackie Collins's racy novelThe Stud. It was made for $600,000 and went on to gross over $20,000,000 internationally.[20] At the same time she published her autobiography,Past Imperfect, which went to number 1 in the bestseller charts.The Stud was so successful that a sequel,The Bitch (1979)[21] was hastily arranged and was also a hit. After shootingGame for Vultures (1979) oppositeRichard Harris andSunburn (1979) withFarrah Fawcett, Collins returned to the stage for the first time in many years to play the title role inThe Last of Mrs. Cheyney (1980) in London'sWest End.
The success ofThe Stud andThe Bitch helped Collins to be cast[22] in the second season of the then-struggling soap operaDynasty (1981–89), asAlexis Colby, the beautiful and vengeful ex-wife of oil tycoonBlake Carrington (John Forsythe).Dynasty became an enormous worldwide phenomenon, and by 1985 the programme was the number-one show in the United States, beating outCBS rivalDallas, which ranked number two.[23] For her portrayal of Alexis, Collins was nominated six times for aGolden Globe Award (every year from 1982 to 1987), winning in 1983,[24] the same year she was nominated for an Emmy as Best Actress in a Drama Series.[25] In accepting the award, Collins thankedSophia Loren for turning down the part of Alexis.[26]
Her performance is generally credited as the chief factor in the fledgling show's subsequent rise in theNielsen ratings[27] to a hit rivallingDallas. Co-starAl Corley noted that Collins "just flew" in the role that was "tailor made... just spot on." InDynasty producerAaron Spelling's final press interview, he said of Collins: "We didn't write Joan Collins. She played Joan Collins. Am I right? We wrote a character, but the character could have been played by 50 people and 49 of them would have failed. She made it work."[28] In recognition of her new status, in 1983 Collins was honoured with a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame for career achievement.
Whilst filmingDynasty, Collins starred in the feature filmNutcracker (1982) and the TV moviesPaper Dolls (1982),The Wild Women of Chastity Gulch (1982),Making of a Male Model (1983) withJon-Erik Hexum,Her Life as a Man (1984), andThe Cartier Affair (1984) withDavid Hasselhoff. She made guest star appearances inThe Love Boat andFaerie Tale Theatre, and co-hosted an ABC-TV special created for her,Blondes vs. Brunettes. At the age of 50, Collins appeared in a 12-page photo layout forPlayboy magazine shot byGeorge Hurrell.[29] WithDynasty at the height of its success, Collins both produced and starred in the smash hit 1986CBSminiseriesSins,[30] and also in the same year,Monte Carlo.[31][32]
WhenDynasty ended in 1989, Collins began rehearsals for her Broadway stage debut, as Amanda in a successful revival ofNoël Coward'sPrivate Lives (1990). She subsequently toured the US in the same play and also starred as Amanda in a production in London's West End.[33] In 1991, she also starred forBBC Television in a series of eight individual Noël Coward plays under the titleTonight at 8.30. In 1991, Collins rejoined her co-stars forDynasty: The Reunion, a miniseries that concluded the cliffhanger ending left after the show's abrupt 1989 cancellation. In the 1990s, Collins continued to star in films includingDecadence (1994) andIn The Bleak Midwinter (1995).
On American television she made the TV moviesHart to Hart – Two Harts in 3/4 Time (1995),Annie: A Royal Adventure! (1995) andSweet Deception (1998). She also made guest-star appearances on series such asRoseanne (1993),The Nanny (1996) andWill & Grace (2000), and played a recurring role in seven episodes ofPacific Palisades (1997). She was selected as the cover star for the relaunch of the popular celebrity magazineOK! when it changed from a monthly to a weekly.[34] In 1999, Collins was cast in the film version of the musical theatre showJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, withDonny Osmond. She then starred oppositeNigel Hawthorne in the filmThe Clandestine Marriage (1999), which she also co-produced.
In 2000, Collins replacedElizabeth Taylor asPearl Slaghoople, Wilma Flintstone's mother, inThe Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas, a prequel to theUniversal Studios live-action filmThe Flintstones (1994, Taylor had originated the role in the first film). The following year, Collins co-starred with Taylor,Shirley MacLaine andDebbie Reynolds in the television filmThese Old Broads, written by Eddie Fishers daughter,Carrie Fisher. In 2002, Collins returned to soap operas in a limited guest run on the American daytime soapGuiding Light.[35] In 2005, actressAlice Krige impersonated Collins inDynasty: The Making of a Guilty Pleasure, a fictionalisedtelevision film based on the creation andbehind-the-scenes production ofDynasty.[36]
In 2006, Collins toured the United Kingdom inAn Evening with Joan Collins (US titleOne Night With Joan), a one-woman show in which she related the highs and lows of her career and life. The show was directed by her husband Percy Gibson, whom she married in 2002. She has continued to tour the world with the show and its sequelJoan Collins Unscripted ever since, including appearances in New York, Las Vegas, Dubai, Sydney, and twice at theLondon Palladium. In 2006–2007 she also toured North America for 30 weeks in the playLegends! with formerDynasty co-starLinda Evans.
In the mid-2000s, Collins's television work included the hit British television seriesFootballer's Wives as Eva de Wolffe (2005), the BBC seriesHotel Babylon (2006) andDynasty Reunion: Catfights and Caviar, a 2006 special featuring several of herDynasty co-stars reminiscing about the original series. Collins guest-starred inThey Do It with Mirrors, a two-hour episode of the murder-mystery dramaMarple in 2009, as Ruth Van Rydock, a friend of detectiveMiss Jane Marple. In 2009, Collins presented her own reality television series entitledJoan Collins Does Glamour.[37]
In 2010 she joined the cast of the German soap operaVerbotene Liebe (Forbidden Love) for a short run, playing an aristocratic British woman, Lady Joan, who takes a young German prince in tow.[38] Famed for her double act withLeonard Rossiter in theCinzano advertisements, in 2012 she starred in a Europe-wide commercial forSnickers chocolate bars, alongsideStephanie Beacham. Within a short time the advert was re-edited and Beacham's appearance cut.[39]
She made her first (and, to date, only) venture intopantomime as Queen Rat inDick Whittington at theBirmingham Hippodrome during the 2010Christmas season, starring alongsideNigel Havers andJulian Clary.[40] In 2012–2013, she appeared as herself in the US sitcomHappily Divorced. She also lent her voice to the animated feature filmSaving Santa (2013).
From 2013 to 2017, Collins had a recurring guest role in the British sitcomBenidorm as Crystal Hennessy-Vass, the fierce CEO of the fictional Solana Hotel Group. From 2014 to 2018, she played the Grand Duchess of Oxford, mother of fictional British Queen Helena (Elizabeth Hurley) in theE! drama seriesThe Royals.[41] In 2015, Collins backed the children's fairytales app GivingTales in aid ofUNICEF, together with others such asRoger Moore,Ewan McGregor,Stephen Fry,Joanna Lumley, andMichael Caine.[42] The same year she starred in the fantasy filmMolly Moon and the Incredible Book of Hypnotism.
In 2016, Collins made a cameo appearance as herself inAbsolutely Fabulous: The Movie. The following year she returned to the big screen with the starring role in the British comedy-dramaThe Time of Their Lives, playing a faded Hollywood star. In 2018 she appeared in a critically acclaimed short film,Gerry, for which she won the Best Actress award at the LA Shorts International Film Festival.
In 2018, Collins joined the cast ofRyan Murphy's seriesAmerican Horror Story for its eighth seasonAmerican Horror Story: Apocalypse. She first portrayed Evie Gallant, the glamorous and rich grandmother ofEvan Peters' character, and later portrayed witch actress Bubbles McGee. In 2019 she guest-starred in an episode of the newHawaii Five-O TV-series.[43]
She had a co-starring role in the 2020 filmThe Loss Adjuster oppositeLuke Goss andMartin Kemp.[44] In 2021, Collins appeared in a short comedy spoof forComic Relief entitled2020: The Movie, in which she played Maggie Keenan, the first person to receive aCOVID-19 vaccination.[45] Collins starred asAdelaide of Maurienne in the historical drama miniseriesGlow and Darkness (2021), alongsideJane Seymour andDenise Richards.[46] Collins had a role in the 2022 musicalTomorrow Morning, based on the acclaimed musical play of the same name.[47] She is set to portrayWallis Simpson in a movie under a working title "The Bitter End". Filming on the movie will begin in May 2025, take place in London and Paris.[48]
Collins has publicly supported several charities for several decades. In 1982, Collins spoke before theU.S. Congress about increasing funding for neurological research. In 1983, she was named a patron of the International Foundation for Children with Learning Disabilities, earning the foundation's highest honour in 1988 for her continuing support. Additionally, 1988 also saw the opening of the Joan Collins Wing of theChildren's Hospital of Michigan inDetroit. In 1990, she was made an honorary founding member of theNational Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.
In 1994, Collins was awarded the lifetime achievement award from the Association of Breast Cancer Studies in Great Britain for her contribution to breast cancer awareness in the UK. Collins is patron ofFight for Sight; in 2003, she became a patron of the Shooting Star Chase Children's Hospice in Great Britain, while continuing to support several foster children in India, something she has done for the past 35 years. Collins serves her former school, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, as the Honorary President of the RADA Associates.[49]
Since the late 1990s, Collins has been a regular guest diarist forThe Spectator. In 2008, she had a weekly opinions column inThe Sunday Telegraph. She continues to write occasionally for theDaily Mail,The Times,The Daily Telegraph andThe Lady in the United Kingdom, andHarper's Bazaar in the United States.
Collins has established herself as a successful author, although doing so annoyed her sister Jackie, whose books had helped Joan's career.[22] In addition to her bestselling novels, includingPrime Time andLove & Desire & Hate, she has also written six lifestyle books, includingThe Joan Collins Beauty Book, as well as memoirs, includingPast Imperfect. To date, she has sold over 50 million copies of her books, which have been translated into 30 languages.[50]
Collins has been married five times,[51] first to Northern Irish actorMaxwell Reed, whom she married on 24 May 1952 after hedate raped her.[52][53][54] She divorced Reed on 29 May 1956.[55] In 1959, Collins began a romance with the then-unknown actorWarren Beatty. They became engaged in 1960, but his infidelity led to their split the same year.[56] Collins revealed in her 1978 autobiography that she got an abortion during the relationship.[57]
On 27 May 1963, she married actor and singer-songwriterAnthony Newley, with whom she had two children,Tara (born 12 October 1963) andAlexander (born 8 September 1965). The couple divorced on 13 August 1971. She wed her third husband, American businessmanRon Kass on 11 March 1972, and the couple had a daughter, Katyana (born 20 June 1972).[58] Collins and Kass divorced on 6 May 1983. She married former singerPeter Holm on 3 November 1985.[59] Collins sought anannulment in December 1986,[60] but was instead granted a divorce 24 August 1987.[61] She married her fifth and current husband Percy Gibson, who is 32 years her junior, on 17 February 2002 atClaridge's Hotel in London.[62] Collins has four grandchildren.[63]
Collins's younger sister wasJackie Collins, a bestselling Englishromance novelist, who died in September 2015. She wrote 32 novels, all of which appeared onThe New York Times bestsellers list.[64]
Collins maintains residences inBelgravia,Beverly Hills, andSaint-Tropez,[65] describing her life in 2010 as being "that of a gypsy".[66] In 2019, Collins and Gibson escaped a "terrifying" fire at her London flat inEaton Place. Gibson was able to contain the blaze using a fire extinguisher before the emergency services arrived. Collins was treated for smoke inhalation but was otherwise unharmed and thanked the emergency response crews on social media.[67][68] In 2021, she sold her condo in New York for $2 million.[69]
She was a supporter of the late Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcher, and was invited to attendher funeral on 17 April 2013.[70] Collins is also a staunchmonarchist, stating "I'm a big monarchist and I lovethe Queen."[71] In 2004, it was announced she had become a Patron of theUK Independence Party, though she later said this did not necessarily mean she would vote for the party.[72] In 2013, Collins supportedBritish withdrawal from the European Union.[73]
Collins was appointed Officer of theOrder of the British Empire (OBE) in the1997 New Year Honours for services to drama[74] and advanced to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the2015 New Year Honours for services to charity.[75]
Memoir
Nonfiction
Fiction
By other authors
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Lady Godiva Rides Again | Beauty Queen Contestant | Uncredited |
| Facts and Fancies | Teenager | Short film | |
| 1952 | The Woman's Angle | Marina | |
| Judgment Deferred | Lil Carter | ||
| I Believe in You | Norma Hart | ||
| 1953 | Decameron Nights | Pampinea / Maria | |
| Cosh Boy | Rene Collins | ||
| Turn the Key Softly | Stella Jarvis | ||
| The Square Ring | Frankie | ||
| Our Girl Friday | Sadie Patch | ||
| 1954 | The Good Die Young | Mary Halsey | |
| 1955 | Land of the Pharaohs | Princess Nellifer | |
| The Virgin Queen | Beth Throckmorton | ||
| The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing | Evelyn Nesbit Thaw | ||
| 1956 | The Opposite Sex | Crystal | |
| 1957 | Sea Wife | Sea Wife | |
| The Wayward Bus | Alice Chicoy | ||
| Island in the Sun | Jocelyn Fleury | ||
| Stopover Tokyo | Tina Llewellyn | ||
| 1958 | The Bravados | Josefa Velarde | |
| Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys! | Angela Hoffa | ||
| 1960 | Seven Thieves | Melanie | |
| Esther and the King | Esther | ||
| 1962 | The Road to Hong Kong | Diane | |
| 1965 | Hard Time for Princes | Jane | |
| 1967 | Warning Shot | Joanie Valens | |
| 1968 | Subterfuge | Anne Langley | |
| 1969 | Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness? | Polyester Poontang | |
| If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium | Girl on Sidewalk | Cameo appearance | |
| Besieged | Roberta | ||
| 1970 | The Executioner | Sarah Booth | |
| Up in the Cellar | Pat Camber | ||
| 1971 | Revenge | Carol Radford | |
| Quest for Love | Ottilie Trafford / Tracy Fletcher | ||
| 1972 | Tales from the Crypt | Joanne Clayton | Segment: "And All Through The House" |
| Fear in the Night aka 'Fright In The Night' | Molly Carmichael | ||
| 1973 | Tales That Witness Madness | Bella Thompson | Segment: "Mel" |
| 1974 | L'arbitro aka 'Football Crazy' | Elena Sperani | |
| Dark Places | Sarah Mandeville | ||
| 1975 | Alfie Darling | Fay | |
| The Great Adventure | Sonia Kendall | ||
| I Don't Want to Be Born aka 'The Monster' | Lucy Carlesi | ||
| 1976 | The Bawdy Adventures of Tom Jones | Black Bess | |
| 1977 | Empire of the Ants | Marilyn Fryser | |
| 1978 | Fearless | Brigitte | |
| The Big Sleep | Agnes Lozelle | ||
| The Stud | Fontaine Khaled | ||
| Zero to Sixty | Gloria Martine | ||
| 1979 | Game for Vultures | Nicolle | |
| Sunburn | Nera | ||
| The Bitch | Fontaine Khaled | ||
| 1982 | Homework | Diane | |
| Nutcracker | Laura Carrere | ||
| 1994 | Decadence | Helen / Sybil | |
| 1995 | In the Bleak Midwinter | Margaretta D'Arcy | |
| 1997 | Coronation Street: Viva Las Vegas! | Joan Collins | |
| 1999 | Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat | Mrs. Potiphar | |
| The Clandestine Marriage | Mrs. Heidelberg | Also associate producer | |
| 2000 | The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas | Pearl Slaghoople | |
| 2004 | Ellis in Glamourland | Susan | |
| 2006 | Ozzie | Max Happy | |
| 2009 | Banksy's Coming for Dinner | Joan | |
| 2010 | Fetish | Francesca Vonn | Short film |
| 2013 | Saving Santa | Vera Baddington | Voice |
| 2015 | Molly Moon and the Incredible Book of Hypnotism | Nockman's Mother | |
| 2016 | Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie | Herself | Cameo |
| 2017 | The Time of Their Lives | Helen Shelley | Also executive producer[79] |
| 2018 | Gerry | Hilda | Short film |
| 2020 | The Loss Adjuster | Margaret Rogerton-Sykes | [80] |
| 2022 | Tomorrow Morning | Anna | [81] |
| The Gentle Sex | Major Connie Brown | [82] | |
| TBC | The Bitter End[83][84] | Wallis Simpson | Pre-Production |
| TBC | Murder Between Friends | Francesca Carlyle | Post-production[85] |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | The Human Jungle | Liz Kross | Episode: "Struggle for a Mind" |
| 1966 | Run for Your Life | Gilian Wales | Episode: "The Borders of Barbarism" |
| The Man from U.N.C.L.E. | Baroness Bibi De Chasseur / Rosy Shlagenheimer | Episode: "The Galatea Affair" | |
| 1967 | The Virginian | Lorna Marie Marshall | Episode: "The Lady from Wichita" |
| Batman | The Siren (Lorelei Circe) | Episodes: "Ring Around the Riddler" and "The Wail of the Siren" | |
| The Danny Thomas Hour | Myra | Episode: "The Demon Under the Bed" | |
| Star Trek | Edith Keeler | Episode: "The City on the Edge of Forever" | |
| 1969 | Mission: Impossible | Nicole Vedette | Episode: "Nicole" |
| 1972 | The Persuaders! | Sidonie | Episode: "Five Miles to Midnight" |
| The Man Who Came to Dinner | Lorraine Sheldon | TV movie | |
| 1973 | Drive Hard, Drive Fast | Carole Bradley | TV movie |
| Orson Welles Great Mysteries | Jane Blake | Episode: "The Dinner Party" | |
| 1974 | Fallen Angels | Jane Banbury | TV movie |
| 1975 | Ellery Queen | Lady Daisy Frawley | Episode: "The Adventure of Auld Lang Syne" |
| Switch | Jackie Simon | Episode: "Stung from Beyond" | |
| Space: 1999 | Kara | Episode: "Mission of the Darians" | |
| 1976 | Baretta | Lynn Stiles | Episode: "Pay or Die" |
| Police Woman | Lorelei Frank / Prudence Clark | Episodes: "The Pawn Shop" and "The Trick Book" | |
| Arthur Hailey's the Moneychangers | Avril Devereaux | TV Mini-series | |
| Gibbsville | Andrea | Episode: "Andrea" | |
| 1977 | The Fantastic Journey | Queen Halyana | Episode: "Turnabout" |
| Future Cop | Eve Di Falco | Episode: "The Kansas City Kid" | |
| Starsky and Hutch | Janice | Episode: "Starsky and Hutch on Playboy Island" | |
| 1979 | Tales of the Unexpected | Lady Natalia Turton | Episode: "Neck" |
| 1980 | Clare Duckworth/Julia Roach | Episode: "Georgy Porgy" | |
| Suzy Starr | Episode "A Girl Can't Always Have Everything" | ||
| Fantasy Island | Lucy Atwell | Episode: "My Fair Pharaoh/The Power" | |
| 1981–1989 | Dynasty | Alexis Morell Carrington Colby | Series regular (Season 2–8), recurring (Season 9) 195 episodes |
| 1982 | Paper Dolls | Racine | TV movie |
| The Wild Women of Chastity Gulch | Annie McCulloch | TV movie | |
| 1983 | Making of a Male Model | Kay Dillon | TV movie |
| The Love Boat | Janine Adams | Episode: "The Captain's Crush/Out of My Hair/Off-Course Romance" | |
| Faerie Tale Theatre | Stepmother / Witch | Episode: "Hansel and Gretel" | |
| 1984 | The Cartier Affair | Cartier Rand / Marilyn Hallifax | TV movie |
| Her Life as a Man | Pam Dugan | TV movie | |
| 1986 | Sins | Helene Junot | TV Mini-series, also executive producer |
| Monte Carlo | Katrina Petrovna | TV Mini-series, also executive producer | |
| 1991 | Tonight at 8:30 | Various | Series regular, 8 episodes, also executive producer |
| Dynasty: The Reunion | Alexis Morrell Carrington Colby Dexter Rowan | TV Mini-series | |
| 1993 | Roseanne | Ronnie | Episode: "First Cousin, Twice Removed" |
| Mama's Back | Tamara Hamilton | TV pilot | |
| Egoli: Place of Gold | Catherine Sinclair | Special Guest Star | |
| 1995 | Hart to Hart: Two Harts in 3/4 Time | Lady Camilla | TV movie |
| Annie: A Royal Adventure! | Lady Edwina Hogbottom | TV movie | |
| 1996 | The Nanny | Joan Sheffield | Episode: "Me and Mrs. Joan" |
| 1997 | Pacific Palisades | Christina Hobson | 7 episodes |
| 1998 | Sweet Deception | Arianna | TV movie |
| 2000 | Will & Grace | Helena Barnes | Episode: "My Best Friend's Tush" |
| 2001 | These Old Broads | Addie Holden | TV movie |
| 2002 | Guiding Light | Alexandra Spaulding | 7 episodes |
| 2005 | Slavery and the Making of America | Reenactor | Episode: "Seeds of Destruction" |
| 2006 | Hotel Babylon | Lady Imogen Patton | Episode: "1.7" |
| Footballers' Wives | Eva De Wolffe | 2 episodes | |
| 2009 | Agatha Christie'sMarple | Ruth Van Rydock | Episode: "They Do It with Mirrors" |
| 2010 | Verbotene Liebe | Lady Joan | 3 episodes |
| Rules of Engagement | Bunny Dunbar | Episode: "Les-bro" | |
| 2012–2013 | Happily Divorced | Joan Collins | 3 episodes |
| 2013 | Celebrity Deal or No Deal | Herself / Contestant | Television special[86] |
| 2014–2017 | Benidorm | Crystal Hennessy-Vass | 4 episodes |
| 2015–2018 | The Royals | Alexandra, Grand Duchess of Oxford | 7 episodes |
| 2018 | American Horror Story: Apocalypse | Evie Gallant | Episodes: "The End" and "The Morning After" |
| Bubbles McGee | Episodes: "Traitor" and "Fire and Reign" | ||
| 2019 | Hawaii Five-0 | Amanda Savage | Episode: "Ai no i ka 'ape he mane'o no ko ka nuku" |
| 2024 | The Reluctant Traveler | Herself | Episode: "France: The Secrets of Saint-Tropez" |
| TBC | Glow and Darkness | Adelaide of Maurienne[87] | 10 episodes, post-production |
| Award | Year | Nominated work | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CableACE Awards | 1983 | Faerie Tale Theatre | Actress in a Dramatic Presentation | Nominated | [90] |
| East Europe International Film Festival | 2020 | The Loss Adjuster | Best Lead Actress | Won | [91] |
| Golden Apple Awards | 1982 | Herself | Female Star of the Year | Won | [92] |
| Golden Kamera Awards | 1999 | Dynasty | Millennium Award | Won | [93] |
| Golden Globe Awards | 1982 | Dynasty | Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama | Nominated | [94] |
| 1983 | Won | [95] | |||
| 1984 | Nominated | [96] | |||
| 1985 | Nominated | [97] | |||
| 1986 | Nominated | [98] | |||
| 1987 | Nominated | [99] | |||
| Monte Carlo TV Festival | 2001 | Herself | Outstanding Female Actor | Won | [100] |
| People's Choice Awards | 1984 | Dynasty | Favorite Female TV Performer | Nominated | [101] |
| 1985 | Won | [102] | |||
| 1986 | Nominated | [101] | |||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | 1984 | Dynasty | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series | Nominated | [103] |
| Saturn Awards | 1978 | Empire of the Ants | Best Actress | Nominated | [104] |
| Soap Opera Digest Awards | 1984 | Dynasty | Outstanding Villainess | Won | [105] |
| 1985 | Won | [106] | |||
| 1986 | Outstanding Actress/Actor in a Comic Relief Role | Nominated | [107] | ||
| Outstanding Villainess | Nominated | ||||
| 1988 | Nominated | [108] | |||
| TV Land Awards | 2003 | Dynasty | Hippest Fashion Plate Female | Nominated | [109] |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
