‘I ENJOY THE BENEFITS OF MONEY'

SCREEN LEGEND DAME JOAN COLLINS IS NOT AFRAID TO ADMIT SHE’S LIVING HER BEST LIFE THANKS TO HER SUCCESSFUL ACTING CAREER

- LISA MARKS

If the word icon didn’t already exist, it would have been invented for Dame Joan Collins. She encapsulates so many of the attributes – timeless Hollywood glamour, extraordinary style, sophistication and a zest for life that most of us can only dream about.

Depending on when you were born, you’ll either know Joan, 88, as the wide-eyed 1950s ingénue, the actress who starred in her sister Jackie Collins’ saucy 70s movie The Stud, Dynasty’s conniving villain Alexis Colby in the 80s, tonguein-cheek Crystal Hennessey-Vaas from Benidorm or Evie Gallant in American Horror Story: Apocalypse. And in between all her acting roles, she’s written several memoirs and novels.

Born Joan Henrietta Collins in Paddington, London in 1933, Joan was the daughter of a dance teacher and a talent agent. Since showbiz was in her blood, she made her stage debut at the age of nine and studied at RADA when she was 16. Three years later she was signed to British film studio the Rank Organisation.

Her first movie role came in 1951, as a beauty contestant in Lady Godiva Rides Again, and her Hollywood screen debut was in The Virgin Queen in 1955.