birthdays: Joan Collins (see more)

Joan Collins

Joan Henrietta Collins. She is an actress and producer, known for Dinastía (1981), Condenados de ultratumba (1972) and El vengador sin piedad (1958). She has been married to Percy Gibson since February 17, 2002. She was previously married to Peter Holm, Ronald S. Kass, Anthony Newley and Maxwell Reed.

Spouse

Percy Gibson	(17 February 2002 - present)
Peter Holm	(3 November 1985 - 25 August 1987) (divorced)
Ronald S. Kass	(11 March 1972 - 1984) (divorced) (1 child)
Anthony Newley	(27 May 1963 - 13 August 1971) (divorced) (2 children)
Maxwell Reed	(24 May 1952 - 8 July 1957) (divorced)

Trade Mark

Often plays a sexy, adulterous woman

Natural brunette hair

Voluptuous figure

Deep sultry voice

Trivia

She studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, England.

Daughter Tara Newley is a news anchor in England, UK. Son Alexander Newley is an artist. Daughter Katyana Kass is an actress and a theatrical production assistant. [May 2000]

Older sister of Jackie Collins.

Two of her childhood wishes came true when she made her debut on Broadway (wish #1) in 1991 in Noel Coward's "Private Lives" and starred as Amanda (wish #2).

Her first agent was her father Joe Collins in London. Later in her career, her agent was the well-regarded Irving Paul Lazar (aka "Swifty" Lazar), until his death in 1993.

Once engaged to Warren Beatty.

Affectionately known as "The British Open" because of her liberal lifestyle.

Great admirer of former Prime Minister Lady Margaret Thatcher.

Has described herself as "right-wing" [politically], although she once collected welfare in the United States per her own biography.

She had affairs with Dennis Hopper, Arthur Loew Jr, Sydney Chaplin, Ryan O'Neal and George Englund (Cloris Leachman's husband).

Turned down Frank Sinatra, Robert F. Kennedy, Darryl F. Zanuck and Dean Martin.

First husband Maxwell Reed tried to sell her to an Arab sheik for £10,000, just seven months after their wedding.

She was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 1997 Queen's New Year's Honours List for her services to drama.

Pulled in a reported $120,000 per episode as Dinastía (1981)'s superbitch, Alexis Carrington Colby.

Met her fifth husband, theatre manager Percy Gibson, when Collins appeared in a touring production of the play "Love Letters" in the United States. Gibson helped edit Collins's new novel, "Star Quality". She was 68 and he was 36.

Starred with Leonard Rossiter in Cinzano alcohol commercials on television.

Children: Tara Newley (b. 12 October 1963) and Alexander Newley (b. 8 November 1965) by Anthony Newley; Katyana Kass (born Kennedy "Katy" Kass, b. 20 June 1972) by Ronald S. Kass.

Became a grandmother on 5 October 1998. But Joan, being Joan, refuses to be called "Grandma"; Miel Celeste Adam calls her "DoDo" instead.

Split permanently with first husband Maxwell Reed on her 21st birthday.

Brother William Collins Jr. (b. 1946) is a real estate agent.

Lived with art dealer Robin Hurlestone for 13 years.

The eldest of three children.

The second volume of her autobiography was called "Second Act" and was released in 1996, following her successful court battle against her publisher, Random House.

The company had demanded that Joan return the $2-million advance it had given her for two novels, as it claimed her submissions were "substandard". The New York judge ruled in her favor.

A doll and an action figure were made in the likeness of her character on La conquista del espacio (1966), Edith Keeler.

Has three grandchildren: Miel and Weston by daughter Tara Newley, and Ava Grace Newley (born July 2004), by son Alexander Newley and daughter-in-law Angela Tassoni.

Refused to return to work on Dinastía (1981) at the beginning of the 1985-1986 season until she was given a raise, forcing the writers to write her out of the first episode of the season. It was a bold move on her part, because the previous season's cliffhanger was the infamous "Moldavian Massacre", in which all the characters were shot. It would have been very easy for the producers to fire her and eliminate the character of Alexis by having her being killed in the shootout. However, she successfully negotiated a raise to around $60,000 per episode and returned to work, missing only one episode.

Only appeared in 13 of 22 episodes during the final season of Dinastía (1981) because the producers told her they couldn't afford to pay her every week.

Is portrayed by Rachel Scobie in El misterio de Natalie Wood (2004)

Best known for her role as Alexis Carrington Colby in Dinastía (1981).

She is allergic to shellfish.

In Italy, almost all her films were dubbed by Dhia Cristiani, except Tierra de faraones (1955) and La esposa del mar (1957) where she was dubbed by Clelia Bernacchi and Lidia Simoneschi respectively.

Her father was born in South Africa, to a Jewish family (some of whom had come from the Netherlands and Germany). Her mother was English, and had French ancestry.

Has been good friends with Dame Shirley Bassey for many years. Shirley sang at her wedding to Percy Gibson.

At age 16, she was courted by 19-year-old Larry Hagman. He had to be very respectful and report to her father.

Husband Percy Gibson is two years younger than her daughter Tara Newley and the same age as her son Alexander Newley.

Former stepmother of Robert Kass.

She is one of only 8 actors to have played "Special Guest Villains" in Batman (1966) who are still alive, the others being Julie Newmar, John Astin, Eli Wallach, Glynis Johns, Barbara Rush, Dina Merrill and Zsa Zsa Gabor.

She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6901 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

Had often feuded with Charlotte Rae.

Became pregnant by Warren Beatty and had an abortion.

Replaced Marilyn Monroe in La muchacha del trapecio rojo (1955). Marilyn was considered too old at age 30 when the girl was supposed to be age 17.

Is beginning a UK Tour of 'An Evening with Joan Collins' [April 2006]

Begins an eight-month theatre tour of North America, in the play "Legends!" by James Kirkwood Jr. opposite her Dinastía (1981) co-star Linda Evans. [October 2006]

Release of her book, "The Art of Living Well: Looking Good, Feeling Great".

Longtime friend and student of John Forsythe.

Personal Quotes

In 1984: "I enjoyed being an adulteress... taking a certain vengeance for the fact that my husband was not being faithful."

The unfortunate statistics are that there are far more available and fabulous over-40 women than there are available and fabulous over-40 men.

The secret of having a personal life is not answering too many questions about it.

It is unseemly to undress on stage. I won't do that.

I have always tried to live my life with enthusiasm and pleasure.

I've never chased fame. I came into this business to be a theatre actress. I was nine when I first appeared on stage. But I can't say I would turn my back on fortune. I'm someone who enjoys the benefits of money. I created a lifestyle for myself. Nobody else did it for me. Everything I have I've bought with my own money.

After a certain age, you get the face you deserve.

I've never been that keen on Shakespeare.

[speaking in 1995] "I was thinking, who of the English actresses in the last 30 or 40 years have achieved as much as I have?"

Age, in my opinion, has no bearing at all, that is unless, of course, one happens to be a bottle of wine.

[on Margaret Thatcher's 80th birthday] "She's the Iron Lady and I want to be just like that when I grow up".

The problem with beauty is that it's like being born rich and getting poorer.

I've never yet met a man who could look after me. I don't need a husband. What I need is a wife.

The easiest way to convince my kids that they don't really need something is to get it for them.

On her guest starring role on La conquista del espacio (1966): "People still want to talk to me about that episode - some remember me more for that than anything else I've done" (Sept/Oct 2006 Star Trek Magazine, Issue #1).

[on her character in El placer (1979)] She appears to have the world by the balls, but underneath she's trying to solve the problem of loneliness, which I think is the universal problem of all rich people.

Dinastía (1981) was the opportunity to take charge of my career rather than walking around like a library book waiting to be loaned out.

Even when you win the rat race, you're still a rat.

[on Italian film director Roberto Rossellini] Rossellini was a stubborn, opinionated genius who had total autonomy over all his productions.

[on George Peppard] He's arrogant -- the sort of man who expects women to fall at his feet at the slightest command; who throws his weight around. He gives the impression that he's the star, what he says goes and that nobody else is very important.

On success: Show me a person who has never made a mistake and I'll show you somebody who has never achieved much.

[on the death of longtime friend and former teacher, John Forsythe, who played Blake Carrington]: He was one of the last of the true gentlemen of the acting profession. I enjoyed our nine years of feuding, fussing and fighting as the Carringtons.

[on her experience of a real life haunting in Venice, Italy] There is no way I am staying another night in this palazzo.

[on James Dean] Intense, moody, incredible charisma. He was short, myopic, not good-looking in life, really. ... I drove with Jimmy in his new red Porsche once. We were pissed [drunk] and went down Sunset and I was scared. He had the windows open, the music up, driving really fast. He died in that same Porsche two or three months later. You know who he was like? A young, better-looking Woody Allen, in a way. He had those same qualities of shyness, uncertainty and insecurity.

The compartment that's easy to put me in is "freethinking, sexy broad with a dirty mouth, who pretty much does what she wants." But there's more to me than that.

My father is Jewish and I look exactly like him... My mother is British, but she's of French extraction. (Gifs and photos: source_Tumblr)