The daughter of the prominent theatrical agent Joe Collins and his wife Elsa, Joan Collins was born in London and made her London stage debut at the age of nine in Ibsen’s A DOLLS HOUSE at the Arts Theatre. She went on to become a student at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art when she was 16 and after only 18 months was signed to an exclusive contract by the Rank Organization.

Under that contract Joan made several films and also built a successful theatrical career. Her first major theatrical role was as Sabina in Thornton Wilder's THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH, and other leading roles included THE SEVENTH VEIL, THE PRAYING MANTIS, JASSY and CLAUDIA & DAVID. After working in films and television for several years, Joan Collins returned to the British stage in 1980 to play the title role in the Chichester Festival Theatre's production of THE LAST OF MRS CHEYNEY. This production soon moved to the West End and played to sell-out houses throughout its run. Then, in 1990, Joan played Amanda in a revival of Noel Coward’s PRIVATE LIVES, which won her outstanding reviews both in the West end and on Broadway. In the spring of 2000, she completed an American tour of LOVE LETTERS opposite Stacy Keach and, in 2001, starred in Ken Ludwig’s OVER THE MOON at London’s Old Vic Theater.

Nominated for an Emmy award and winner of the Golden Globe and People’s Choice Award, as well as numerous other awards worldwide, Joan has appeared in more than 55 feature films and dozens of television programmes. Some of her most memorable films are THE GIRL IN THE RED VELVET SWING, RALLY ROUND THE FLAG BOYS, THE VIRGIN QUEEN, THE BRAVADOS, THE BIG SLEEP, LAND OF THE PHARAOHS, ROAD TO HONG KONG and THE STUD. She has worked with some of the greatest movie legends including Richard Burton, Bing Crosby, Bette Davis, Kirk Douglas, Joan Fontaine, Laurence Harvey, Bob Hope, James Mason, Ray Milland, Robert Mitchum, Paul Newman, Gregory Peck, Edward G. Robinson, Rod Steiger, Joanne Woodward, Sir John Gielgud and Sir Nigel Hawthorne. She has guest starred in some of the most popular TV series, such as STAR TREK, STARSKY & HUTCH, MISSION IMPOSSIBLE, LOVE BOAT, THE PERSUADERS, SPACE 1999, BATMAN, THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E., POLICEWOMAN, BARETTA, THE NANNY, WILL & GRACE and ROSEANNE.

As a producer she was responsible for SINS, a six-hour mini-series for television that topped the ratings in the US. Following the huge success of SINS, Joan produced and starred in MONTE CARLO, a four-hour mini-series with George Hamilton, which aired in 1986 to great acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic.

Perhaps above all, Joan Collins is internationally renowned for her role of Alexis Carrington Colby in DYNASTY; the most highly rated evening TV drama of all time. For eight years, viewers were treated to a weekly dose of Alexis' elaborate schemes for power, money and love, during the course of which Joan created one of televisions most popular characters, and etched a place for herself in Hollywood history. DYNASTY continues to be aired worldwide. In 1997, Alexis was reunited with Aaron Spelling and guest-starred in six special episodes of his nighttime drama PACIFIC PALISADES.

In the last decade, Joan has starred in the following films: Steven Berkoff's DECADENCE; Kenneth Branagh’s IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER, a film that premiered at the Venice Film Festival to huge critical acclaim; Andrew Lloyd Webber’s JOSEPH & THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, with Donny Osmond and Richard Attenborough; THE CLANDESTINE MARRIAGE, an 18th century period comedy with Nigel Hawthorne and Timothy Spall; the Flintstone’s prequel movie VIVA ROCK VEGAS, as Pearl Slaghoople and for which Steven Speilberg was Executive Producer; HART TO HART movie of the week with Robert Wagner and Stephanie Powers; ANNIE: A ROYAL ADVENTURE; and THESE OLD BROADS, a TV Movie of the Week with Elizabeth Taylor, Shirley MacLaine and Debbie Reynolds in 2002 she appeared in the CBS serial GUIDING LIGHT for three months..

Aside from her career as an actress, Joan Collins has published ten books. She began her writing career in April 1985 with a best-selling autobiography, PAST IMPERFECT, which she followed with THE JOAN COLLINS BEAUTY BOOK. Her debut novel, PRIME TIME, was published in 1988 and her second novel, LOVE & DESIRE & HATE followed in 1990. Her beauty book MY SECRETS was published in 1994 and remained on the best-selling list for over three months. Another novel TOO DAMN FAMOUS also went into the best-selling lists in 1995. Her second autobiography, SECOND ACT, was published by Andre Deutch last year and went straight into the best-seller lists and she then wrote a sequel to MY SECRETS entitled MY FRIENDS SECRETS. Her latest novel, STAR QUALITY came out in 2002 and Hyperion published it in the US in the fall of 2001. Her current beauty and self-help book JOAN'S WAY was published in October of 2002.

Joan Collins has three children: A son, Sacha, and two daughters, Tara and Katy. She is deeply concerned about children the world over and is an honorary founding member of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. She has supported several foster children in India for 15 years. Since 1983 she has been a patron of the International Foundation for children with Learning Disabilities and in March 1988 the Foundation awarded her with its highest honour for her continuing support and special interest. In May 1988 the Joan Collins Wing of the Children’s Hospital of Michigan was opened and in November 1994, the Association of Breast Cancer Studies presented Joan with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her unceasing humanitarianism and is a tireless worker for may UK charities associated with breast cancer. In February 2002 Joan married Theatrical Manager Percy Gibson and they live happily between New York, London and France..

In March 1997 Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II presented Joan Collins with the Order of the British Empire (O.B.E.) for her lifetime contribution to the arts and her continuing charity work.