Exploring Joan Collins' Journey: From British Debut to Hollywood Icon

Dame Joan Collins began her acting career in British films before becoming a Hollywood star during the Golden Age of cinema. She landed her first major role in the 1952 film I Believe in You, which opened the door to roles in Cosh Boy and Our Girl Friday the following year.

After her success in British cinema, Collins went on to secure roles in Hollywood films such as The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing (1955), Sea Wife (1956), Island in the Sun (1957), and Rally round the Flag, Boys (1958). However, she returned to the U.K. when she was replaced by Elizabeth Taylor for the lead role in the 1963 film Cleopatra.

In a 2019 CBS interview, Collins revealed that she decided to leave the film when a studio executive suggested that she could secure the role by sleeping with him.

During the interview, Collins firmly stated, "I was never going to compromise my values by offering my body in exchange for a role, whether it was an older man, younger man, or anyone else. That was something I would never consider, no matter what."

Collins eventually made her way back to Hollywood, splitting her time between California and the U.K. for various television and film projects. While she appeared on a number of TV shows over the years — including Roseanne, The Nanny, and Will & Grace — she is most famous for her role on Dynasty. Her performance earned her multiple Golden Globe nominations, with a win in 1983, and she was also nominated for an Emmy Award in 1984.

Outside of her acting career, Collins had been married four times before finding true love with producer Percy Gibson, whom she crossed paths with while working on the play Love Letters in 2000.

In a 2018 essay for the Daily Mail, Collins admitted that he had sworn off marriage after his previous experiences. However, everything changed when he met Percy. The couple got married in 2002, and surprisingly, their marriage has outlasted all of Collins' previous marriages.

Collins shared in her 2011 memoir, The World According to Joan, that she had to kiss many frogs before finding her prince. She noted that for women seeking a life partner, the saying that men are like buses - if you wait long enough, the right one will come along - holds true.

Continue scrolling to view a timeline of Collins' career through photos:

Joan Collins Through the Years

Credit: Harry Langdon/Getty Images

Joan Collins Through the Years: Her Roles in ‘Dynasty,’ ‘The Royals’ and More

Dame Joan Collins began her career in British films and later achieved Hollywood stardom during the Golden Age of cinema.

Collins started her career with a breakthrough role in the 1952 film I Believe in You. This paved the way for roles in Cosh Boy and Our Girl Friday the following year. She then landed roles in Hollywood films such as The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing (1955), Sea Wife (1956), Island in the Sun (1957), Rally round the Flag, Boys (1958), and more. However, she returned to the U.K. after being replaced by Elizabeth Taylor for the title role in the 1963 film Cleopatra.

During a CBS interview in 2019, Collins revealed that she had left a film after a studio executive offered her the lead role in exchange for sleeping with him.

Collins said she would never settle for giving her body to anyone, young or old, for a role. After that, she returned to Hollywood, working on television and film projects in both California and the U.K. While she appeared on various TV shows such as Roseanne, The Nanny, and Will & Grace, she is most famous for her role on Dynasty. Her performance earned her multiple Golden Globe nominations, with a win in 1983, and she was also nominated for an Emmy Award in 1984.

Collins had been married four times before finally finding love with producer Percy Gibson, whom she met while acting in the 2000 play Love Letters.

In a 2018 essay for the Daily Mail, Collins revealed, "I had sworn off marriage for good. But everything changed when I met Percy."

The couple got married in 2002, and their marriage has been longer than any of Collins' previous marriages. Collins mentioned in her 2011 memoir, "The World According to Joan," that she had many unsuccessful relationships before finding her prince charming. She also advised women looking for a life partner to be patient, as the right one will eventually come along, just like buses do.

Keep scrolling to see a timeline of Collins’ career in photos:

Joan Collins Through the Years

Credit: Hulton Archive/Getty Images

1952

Collins had her big break as a juvenile delinquent in 1952’s I Believe in You. She married her first husband Maxwell Reed that same year, but the pair divorce in 1956. 

Joan Collins Through the Years

Credit: Donaldson Collection/Getty Images

1954 to 1955

Collins was selected by famous American director Howard Hawks to appear in his movie "Land of the Pharaohs" in 1954. This opportunity as Princess Nellifer marked her entry into Hollywood, paving the way for her to play the role of Elizabeth Throckmorton in the 1955 film "The Virgin Queen."

Joan Collins Through the Years

Credit: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Getty Images

1956 to 1960

Collins’ American film career continued with The Opposite Sex (1956), Island in the Sun (1957), The Bravados (1958) and Seven Thieves (1960). 

Joan Collins Through the Years

Credit: John Pratt/Keystone Features/Getty Images

1961 to 1963

During this period, Elizabeth Taylor was originally set to play the lead role in the movie Cleopatra in 1963. However, Joan Collins was ultimately cast instead. Elizabeth Taylor then went back to London where she starred alongside Bing Crosby and Bob Hope in The Road to Hong Kong in 1962.

Collins married actor Anthony Newley in 1963, welcoming children Tara and Alexander. They divorced in 1971. 

Joan Collins Through the Years

Credit: John Downing/Daily Express/Getty Images

1967 to 1970

Collins worked on different projects in both America and the U.K., such as Warning Shot (1967) and Subterfuge (1968). She then acted alongside Newley in Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness? in 1969. The following year, in 1970, she was in The Executioner and Up in the Cellar.

Joan Collins Through the Years

Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

1971 to 1973

Collins came back to Britain and continued working on horror films, including Tales from the Crypt (1972).

In 1973, she tied the knot with Ron Kass, who was The Beatles’ manager. Together, they had a daughter named Katyana. Unfortunately, their marriage ended in 1983.

Joan Collins Through the Years

Credit: Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

1978 to 1980

After a short break, Collins shot back into the limelight with her role in the movie version of The Stud, a book written by her sister Jackie. A follow-up film called The Bitch came out in 1979. In the following year, Collins also published her popular novel Love & Desire & Hate.

Joan Collins Through the Years

Credit: Eddie Sanderson/Getty Images

1981 to 1987

During this period, Collins became a part of the soap opera Dynasty in its second season. She portrayed the character Alexis Colby and received six back-to-back nominations for the Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress in a Television Series – Drama from 1982 to 1987. She emerged victorious in 1983, winning the prestigious award.

The actress known for her fearless roles tied the knot with Peter Holm, her third husband, in 1985. Following their marriage, she took on the challenge of producing and starring in the CBS miniseries Sin. However, the marriage did not last, and Collins and Holm parted ways in 1987. In a 2022 interview with Saga Magazine, she candidly referred to their relationship as "a momentous mistake."

Joan Collins Through the Years

Credit: Bob Riha Jr./Getty Images

1988

Collins was awarded the top honor by the International Foundation for Children with Learning Disabilities for her ongoing support since becoming a patron in 1983. In 1988, the Joan Collins Wing was established at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit in recognition of her contributions.

Joan Collins Through the Years

Credit: MARIA R. BASTONE/AFP via Getty Images

1989

Collins made her Broadway debut as Amanda in Private Lives. Following a U.S. tour, she starred in the same role in London’s West End.

Joan Collins Through the Years

Credit: Eddie Sanderson/Getty Images

1995 to 2002

Collins appeared in the American television movie Annie: A Royal Adventure as Lady Edwina Hogbottom and had guest roles in The Nanny and Will & Grace. She also co-produced and starred in the 1999 film The Clandestine Marriage with Nigel Hawthorne.

In 2001, Collins acted alongside Elizabeth Taylor, Shirley MacLaine, and Debbie Reynolds in These Old Broads, a film written by Reynolds' daughter, Carrie Fisher. The following year, she tied the knot with her fifth husband, Gibson.

Joan Collins Through the Years

Credit: Eddie Sanderson/Getty Images

2006 to 2007

During this period, Joan Collins embarked on a solo tour across the U.K. called An Evening with Joan Collins, where she shared the highlights and challenges of her career. The positive response to this tour led to another successful show, Joan Collins Unscripted. Additionally, from 2006 to 2007, Collins traveled to North America to perform in the play Legends! alongside her former Dynasty co-star Linda Evans.

Joan Collins Through the Years

Credit: Dave J Hogan/Dave J Hogan/Getty Images

2010 to 2014

During this time period, Collins had various roles on television. She first appeared on the German soap opera Verbotene Liebe as Lady Joan in 2010. Following that, she joined the cast of the sitcom Happily Divorced from 2012 to 2013. Finally, in 2014, Collins took on the role of the Grand Duchess of Oxford on the show The Royals.

Joan Collins Through the Years

Credit: DAVID CRUMP/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

2015

Collins was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II for her charitable services. King Charles III, then the Prince of Wales, presented her with the honor.

Joan Collins Through the Years

Credit: FX/YouTube

2018

Collins joined the cast of American Horror Story for its eighth season, Apocalypse, portraying Evia Gallant and the witch Bubbles McGee.

Joan Collins Through the Years

Credit: Strike Media/YouTube

2022

Collins starred in the musical film Tomorrow Morning based on the play of the same name. 

Joan Collins Through the Years

Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

2023

Collins published her memoir Behind the Shoulder Pads: Tales I Tell my Friends. Following her book’s release, Collins launched a tour across the U.K. with the same title. 

Editor's P/S:

Dame Joan Collins' life and career are a testament to her resilience, strength, and unwavering determination. From her humble beginnings in British films to her international stardom in