Dame Joan Collins has a new interview in Hello! Magazine complete with an extensive photoshoot, taken in her West Hollywood apartment. Collins wears various flowing lace, sequin, silk and jeweled gowns and loungewear while surrounded by tasteful opulence, including photos of herself and a portrait that Warhol made of her in 1985. Collins, 81, is also accompanied by her fifth and she claims last husband, Percy Gibson, 49. Gibson jokingly calls himself “CEO of Joan Collins, Ltd” as he manages their three homes in London, LA and the South of France. It all sounds and looks fabulous, especially in light of the dishy, bitchy interview that Collins gave Hello!
Collins was just named a Dame for her charity work, particularly with the children’s hospice Shooting Star Chase. It’s a cause that’s close to her heart after her daughter, Katy, suffered a tragic accident at the age of eight. Here’s just some of what she said and for more pick up Hello (or get it on Zinio). It’s the one with Duchess Kate maybe expecting a girl this time. This profile is a great read and well worth the magazine price.
How did you find out about your damehood?
My agent called me in LA and said ‘You have been asked if you would accept a dame hood – however, you should have replied a week ago.’ The letter had somehow got mixed up with fan mail. I called the number on the invitation immediately and luckily it wasn’t too late – I almost fainted and became very emotional.You got involved with your main charity, Shooting Star Chase children’s hospice, after your daughter’s near-fatal accident
Katy had a dreadful accident when she was eight. She was seriously brain damaged and wasn’t expected to live. If she did live, she wasn’t expected to walk or talk again. It took many years but, luckily, we had the resources to be able to rehabilitate her. She is a miracle.In 1983 you won a Best Actress Golden Globe for your portrayal of Alexis Carrington in Dynasty. What did you think of this year’s awards?
I thought the best dressed was Amal Clooney. Jennifer Lopez and Meryl Streep also looked good. Otherwise I didn’t think much of the fashion. There seems to be a certain sheep mentality among some of the actresses to look the same.How has the red carpet changed when you first came to Hollywood?
Everybody wore mink stoles and gorgeous gowns at night. When I came here I was 21, which was still the golden age… these women, including Sophia Loren and Elizabeth Taylor, did their own hair and makeup and they always looked incredible.What about body shapes?
Young actresses are extremely thin these days…What does Percy have that none of your previous husbands had?
He’s South American and I think perhaps Latin men have more of an understanding and appreciation of women. He has a lot on his plate because we have three homes and we don’t want lots of staff.. One of the reasons a lot of actors are broke is because as soon as they get a bit of money or success out come the woodwork people, offering to be your PR, your full-time cook, your stylist – it gets out of hand so fast… instead of spending my money on staff, I put it in real estate.You are famously anti plastic surgery
I don’t want to look like a plastic Barbie doll. I saw a very famous actress the other day. You could see all the lumps under her skin from the fillers and she could barely move her face. It was horrific.Have you ever been tempted?
I have thought about it. I pull my face back and think ‘Wouldn’t I look better like this?’ But I am too scared. I like my laugh lines… and luckily I have good cheekbones.I exercise and I have been careful not to get fat or too thin. I feel exactly the same as I did in my late 40s.
[From Hello! Magazine, print edition, January 26, 2105]
There’s so much to dissect here I don’t know where to start. First off, I don’t believe that she’s never had plastic surgery. She’s freaking 81 and she has a tight neck. Makeup can only do so much. Of course she wears wigs, she has a wig company, but she’s had a little nip and tuck too she just didn’t go overboard. I also wonder whom she’s referring to as the “very famous actress” with the “lumps under her skin.” I think she was talking about Kim Novak. As for the best dressed at the Globes: Amal, Aniston, Streep and J-Lo: really? Apart from Lopez, all of those women were in black and white gowns. Amal wore a boring black gown with white gloves. Collins does love her black, white and solid colors. In the Hello! spread she’s even wearing gloves in one shot.
Oh and Collins is costarring in The Royals with Elizabeth Hurley. It premiers on E! in March.
photo credit: WENN.com and FameFlynet
That WING dress all is all kinds of magic, she’s like a sparkly black fly. And her wig game in the following photo is sublime.
Jots down designer names for Bedhead’s Xmas present, this year. She deserves it after FAKE BABY offerings.
Huh? Collins did not mention Aniston as best dressed. Her and her sister are on record as saying she’s basic. Lol
Double HUH? Where in my comment did I mention Aniston?
I don’t know but I’m loving it.
Also, Kiddo, we need to talk on the Cooper thread immediately.
I don’t know what you are talking about, I just arrived there via circles and left turns, but I don’t know what’s going on here either, so I shall stop at a service station for a fake refreshment.
I think what muggsby was trying to say, is that it is a known fact that Joan Collins and Angelina Jolie are best friends. That’s how I read it, anyway.
http://www.celebitchy.com/407459/angelina_jolie_was_the_most_financially_successful_female_director_of_2014/
Because this dress?
I think Muggsby meant to direct her comment to Celebitchy, not you, Kiddo.
Joan’s quote refers to three celebrities at the Golden Globes (Amal, Streep, Lopez). Celebitchy’s follow-up commentary refers to four — adding Aniston to the mix.
I had to re-read it myself, wondering how Aniston figured in. I guess she really IS showing up in everything this year!
Maybe it’s performance art…on a roundabout.
I think stylists are ruining the red carpet. It’s an unoriginal yawn fest. Team Joan!!
Michael K is totally prostrate on his mink rug right now, muttering prayers of thanks and praise. Also, this woman is like platinum covered in 24k gold, wrapped in diamond dust. Awesomeness completely. I also do not like having “lots of staff” about.
YEESS KRI EVERYTHING YOU SAID!!
I wanna be Her when I grow Up
I also wanna wear Gold Lame Right Now and Scream OPULENCE at the top of my lungs in this office… I will study at this Hot Bitch’s feet!
QQ, I bet Joan has Dorito Paws.
“Everybody wore mink stoles and gorgeous gowns at night” she says! Talk about Sheep mentality of olden days and now she loves “loose white gloves”. It’s 2015, Mrs. Joan Collins. WAKEY, WAKEY…
GODDESS!!!! I will look that way at 81 if my dreams come true!!!
I wish I could look that good now in my 50s.
Why you cant look as good as her? Do you think its easy for her to look like this and it comes to her without a little bit efford?its only make up, hair and elegant clothes. And eat healthy as much as you can. Take care of yourself it not that hard. You just need to want it.
When I was a kid, I used to dream of growing up and being one of the stunt doubles that replaced her in the Alexis/Krystle fight scenes on Dynasty.
Or a private eye in Hawaii. I never reached either goal.
It’s ok, I wanted to be Wonder Woman or Elvira. I sometimes wear dark lipstick. That’s about as far as it went for me!
LOL It’s so funny you said Wonder Woman. My mother made me a Wonder Woman suit when I was little. I used her robe belt for my lasso and I had a little cardboard crown too. I really thought I was the sh*t.
I do agree that actresses today wear very similar things on the red carpet. It is usually some variation of a long column or ball gown.
But on the other hand the fashion critics these days are merciless. I would go with a safe choice too, there is just too much to lose if you get it wrong. ))
I think many actresses would do a better job if they picked their own gown instead of everyone using a “stylist.” Many actresses look bad and they hired a stylist to style their look as far as gowns, shoes, etc. And it’s giving off a very samey look on the red carpet with everyone using a stylist. Somehow I think there’s a loss of individuality on the red carpet these days.
Joan if you wear a mink on the red carpet today you just might get shot.
LOL! I don’t doubt it, PETA can be quite vicious.
She seems okay to me, no Duchess of Alba mind you (RIP) but okay all the same.
Joan Collins followed the sheep mentality too. In the 80’s she wore giant shoulder pads like every 80’s actress.
I will never forget the late, great Alan Coren said of Collins, “She’s had so many facelifts, if she wants to smile, she has to cross her legs to give herself some slack”.
Of course she’s had work done! Maybe she thinks it would be somehow vulgar to admit to it…? Meh, at least she knew where to stop.
She probably uses face tape. Lady Gaga uses face tape all the time to change her face shape and give her a more defined jaw line and bone structure (thinner face). Gaga is only 29. She is probably going to make her face more sagging from her using it so much so young.
A lot of older actrresses use face tape for red carpets, acting, etc., to tighten the jaw line.
Oh, puh-LEEZ! Those ill-fitting, frizzy wigs Joan wears! Joan Rivers would have had a field day.
Agree! Those wigs are so cheap looking! She can’t do better??
Also, she has always had the WORST taste in clothes…those peplums! Oh the horror.
Let me go read her profile, how does she have all that property??? She is like the Liz Hurley of yesterday don’t quite know what she does but she is just out there and obviously rich, does she get residuals from Dynasty?
I certainly think she had work done, but I agree with her that the GG dresses looked all the same. I can only remember a couple of them, Amal, Salma Hayek…yeah, thats all I got.
She has definitely had work done. I’m not liking her comments – they seem fake and deflective. If there was ever an actress too thin, it was Joan Collins in her hey day. For Pete’s sake, she and Susan Lucci were the two lolli-pops of their generation.
At least Jane Fonda is honest about it. When she was asked about how she looks so great for her age, she said she had very very good doctors.
I don’t know who Joan Collins thinks she’s kidding about never having had surgery, but those kind of comments annoy me. It’s a backhanded way of making other women feel inadequate about wearing their lives on their faces.
Congrats to the honors !
I love her, she is amazing and witty
She doesn’t look plastic, but she certainly doesn’t look 81, and I highly doubt it’s all down to weight maintenance and genetics. (not even Scandinavian genes)
My guess for the horrifically lumpy actress is Nicole Kidman.
I’m having a really hard time believing she hasn’t had work done.
Love Joan, always have, always will. No wonder she picked Amal and her gloves as the best dressed. Alexis was all about gloves, and on youtube there is an absolutely hilarious clip of Joan on Graham Norton Show talking about Alexis and the gloves.