Dame Joan Henrietta Collins, DBE (born 23 May 1933) is an English
actress, author, and columnist. She made her stage debut at the age of
nine, trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London,
entered British films in 1951 and went to Hollywood under contract to
20th Century Fox in 1955. In 1981, she landed the role of Alexis Colby
in the soap opera Dynasty, which made her an international superstar
and brought her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television
Series â€" Drama in 1982. In 2015, Collins was made a Dame by Queen
Elizabeth II for services to charity.Collins was born in Paddington,
London, and brought up in Maida Vale, the daughter of Elsa Collins
(née Bessant, 1906â€"1962), a dance teacher, and Joseph William
Collins (1902â€"1988), a talent agent whose clients would later
include Shirley Bassey, the Beatles and Tom Jones. Her father, a
native of South Africa, was Jewish, and her British mother was
Anglican. She had two younger siblings, Jackie (1937â€"2015), a
novelist, and Bill, a property agent. She was educated at the Francis
Holland School, an independent day school for girls in London.She made
her stage debut in the Henrik Ibsen play A Doll's House at the age of
nine, and at the age of sixteen trained as an actress at the Royal
Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. At the age of 17, Collins
was signed to the Rank Organisation, a British film studio.
actress, author, and columnist. She made her stage debut at the age of
nine, trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London,
entered British films in 1951 and went to Hollywood under contract to
20th Century Fox in 1955. In 1981, she landed the role of Alexis Colby
in the soap opera Dynasty, which made her an international superstar
and brought her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television
Series â€" Drama in 1982. In 2015, Collins was made a Dame by Queen
Elizabeth II for services to charity.Collins was born in Paddington,
London, and brought up in Maida Vale, the daughter of Elsa Collins
(née Bessant, 1906â€"1962), a dance teacher, and Joseph William
Collins (1902â€"1988), a talent agent whose clients would later
include Shirley Bassey, the Beatles and Tom Jones. Her father, a
native of South Africa, was Jewish, and her British mother was
Anglican. She had two younger siblings, Jackie (1937â€"2015), a
novelist, and Bill, a property agent. She was educated at the Francis
Holland School, an independent day school for girls in London.She made
her stage debut in the Henrik Ibsen play A Doll's House at the age of
nine, and at the age of sixteen trained as an actress at the Royal
Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. At the age of 17, Collins
was signed to the Rank Organisation, a British film studio.
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