Joan Collins facts: Actress's age, husbands, children, sister, films and more revealed

20 October 2023, 10:30

Joan Collins is a British national institution, famous the world over for her various TV and film roles and glamorous persona.

Known for being an English actress, author, and columnist, during her career Joan Collins has won a Golden Globe Award, a People's Choice Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination.

In 1983, she was even given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and also works for various charities and causes relating to children.

In 2015, she was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II for her charitable services.

Beginning her acting career in the early 1950s, she became something a cult film star for the next few decades. She was then a true Hollywood star after appearing as Alexis Colby in the American soap Dynasty during the 1980s.

In recent years, she has appeared in various TV shows such as Benidorm, The Royals and American Horror Story, and celebrated her 70th year in showbusiness in 2021.

1. How old is Joan Collins?

   

   Joan Collins was born on May 23, 1933. She celebrated her 90th birthday in 2023.

   She was born in Paddington, London, and was the daughter of Elsa Collins (née Bessant, 1906–1962), a dance teacher, and Joseph William Collins (1902–1988), a talent agent, whose clients included Shirley Bassey, the Beatles and Tom Jones.

   Her father was Jewish and a native of South Africa, and her British mother was Anglican.

2. Who was Joan Collins' sister Jackie Collins?

   

   Joan's younger sister Jackie Collins was a famous romance novelist and actress.

   Jackie moved to Los Angeles in 1985, and had most of her successful career in the States.

   She wrote 32 novels in total, all of which appeared on The New York Times bestsellers list, selling over 500 million copies.

   Jackie died in September 2015, of breast cancer, two weeks before her 78th birthday.

   Joan also has a younger brother, Bill, a property agent.

3. How many husbands has Joan Collins had?

   

   Joan Collins has been married five times in total.

   Her first husband was Northern Irish actor Maxwell Reed, from 1952. She reportedly married him out of shame, after he allegedly raped her. They divorced in 1956.

   

   In 1959, Joan began a relationship with the then-unknown actor Warren Beatty (later the subject of Carly Simon's infamous 'You're So Vain'). They were in 1960, but his infidelity led to their eventual split. Joan later revealed in her 1978 autobiography that she became pregnant by Beatty, but had an abortion.

   In 1963, she married actor and singer Anthony Newley. They divorced in 1971.

   

   

   She wed her third husband, American businessman Ron Kass in 1972.

   After their marriage ended in divorce in 1983, she married former singer Peter Holm in 1985 in Las Vegas. However, they divorced just two years later.

   She married her fifth and current husband Percy Gibson, who is 31 years younger than her, in 2002, at Claridge's Hotel in London.

   

4. How many children does Joan Collins have?

   

   With Anthony Newley, Joan Collins had two children: Tara and Alexander.

   Tara is a writer, broadcaster, and producer. Alexander, known as Sacha Newley, is a contemporary artist, portraitist, writer and teacher. He is known for his portrait paintings, including ones of Christopher Reeve and Oliver Stone.

   Joan also had a daughter, Katyana Kennedy 'Katy' Kass, with ex-husband Ron Kass.