Joan Collins

Joan Collins made more than 50 mostly forgettable films before scoring as the sultry superbitch, Alexis, on an ’80s television series called Dynasty. Alexis stood astride other achievements in Collins’ life, including her spread for Playboy when she was almost 50. Collins’ life leading up to her Dynasty tenure was not unlike a script for a prime-time soap; it co-starred lovers such as Nicky Hilton, Rafael Trujillo, Warren Beatty, and Ryan O’ Neal.

After her first husband, Maxwell Reed, drugged and assaulted her, she divorced him and wed Anthony (“What Kind of Fool Am I?”) Newley. Collins’ third husband produced ’70s sexploitation films — including The Stud and The Bitch, which were adapted from Collins’ kid sister’s novels and which starred Joan herself.

Then there was fourth husband, Peter Holm, a Swedish businessman 14 years her junior: in the late ’80s, he earned tabloid fame by suing her for alimony. Collins’ X-rated memoirs, Past Imperfect, are an important artifact in the twisted history of show business.

classic quote
According to my sister, the expert novelist Jackie Collins, most men stray. And sex doesn’t mean anything to most men. But I wouldn’t date a man who slept around. Absolutely not. I’ve divorced people for that. – Joan Collins