Joan Collins — Ruben V. Nepales
(Conclusion)
LOS ANGELES—“I was very good with a knee in the groin. I never allowed myself to be taken advantage of during that time,” claimed Joan Collins about inappropriate advances by men when she was starting her acting career in the 1950s and 1960s.
Still active to this day, the veteran icon was fun and astute in our interview. In this part two of my column on the “Dynasty” and “American Horror Story” star, she talked about the #MeToo movement, how she keeps fit physically and mentally, the advantages of being married to a younger man (she’s 85; husband Percy Gibson is 53), what she would have done differently in her life (her answer was uproarious) and more.
Excerpts:
What do you think of the #MeToo movement? My opinion sadly is that as a young girl, and most of my contemporaries, because we used to discuss it … we didn’t call it abuse. But we were preyed upon by men. It seemed that at that particular time, it went with the way a young actress was treated. I had some bad experiences but because my father was very strong and I was very good with a knee in the groin (laughs), I never allowed myself to be taken advantage of during that time.
I met Marilyn Monroe … at Gene Kelly’s house when I first came here because Gene was a great friend of my then boyfriend Sidney Chaplin. She said, “Honey, you better beware of the wolves in Hollywood.” I said, “I can take care of wolves.” For two years, I was in British films where they sometimes had to hide me in the closet to get me away from a producer. So I am glad for all the women that are standing up for that now.
Do you give advice to younger women, too? I talk to my daughters, obviously. I talked to Ashley Judd at length because she is very involved in it. But I haven’t been involved in the movement per se. I don’t really want to become political and give my opinions out because I don’t think actors should do that.
The #MeToo movement has been good for women in the Western world but I don’t think it’s done much for women in Third World countries, frankly. I don’t think there has been much change in the Middle East at all or Africa, or places like that.
How do you keep your mind sharp? Scrabble and poker (laughs). I don’t feel any different today really than I did 30 years ago. I have a younger husband which is always good and that keeps you up to pot (laughs). I have joie de vivre. I am very lucky that I have huge energy.
I read three and four newspapers a day. I read five, six, seven magazines and I keep up with the politics in England. And the news in England, America and a bit in France because I have a place in France. So I try to be relevant and know what’s going on.
What are the advantages of being married to a younger person? I recommend it highly (laughs). If I was married to someone my age, God knows what it would be like. “Darling, can you get that thing down from up there and carry my bag?” That wasn’t deliberate—we thought long and hard about our relationship and how it was. But it didn’t make any difference to him. He’s South American and he’s from Peru, and his mother is Scottish.
Do you exercise? Yes, I do a bit of exercise. Definitely, you have to do exercise. I don’t believe in no pain, no gain. It has to be gentle and you can’t do things that are going to wrench something. I had pulled a muscle under my rib weeks ago. It was agony for five weeks.
How much do you enjoy fashion? I like being elegant and stylish than fashionable because fashionable is what is in the pages of the glossy magazines. I don’t like those kinds of things. You would never catch me in a pair of ripped jeans or thigh-high boots. All those things that are fashionable are not for me.
You were married five times. Clearly, you believe in marriage or you wouldn’t have kept trying. I do.
What did you learn? You want to read my autobiography? I can’t sum that up in five minutes. I can only say that I was 18 when I got married for the first time. I was a virgin before I met that person (actor Maxwell Reed) and that was a very big mistake because I didn’t know him. And my Swedish husband (Peter Holm), who Michael Caine referred to as the Swedish comedian because he was about as funny as this table (laughs). That was a mistake.
Then I met Percy and he is the love of my life. We became great friends first and then we fell in love and it’s lasted. We love each other and we are each other’s support staff and we just click. We are together practically 24 hours, seven days a week and we work together. He is fantastic with my children, my family, and my sister (the late author Jackie Collins) adored him.
Where is home for you these days? I am very lucky because I have an apartment here (Los Angeles). I have a flat in London. I have a villa in the South of France.
And where do you spend most of your time? On a plane (laughs). I spent the last four and a half months here doing “American Horror Story,” which I am still working on. I am going to be doing my one-woman show in England, in February. And then I am going to be doing another show in America, here in January, which I can’t talk about because it’s a secret. So I will be back.
What does fame mean to you? I don’t consider myself famous. I can walk around in this town and anywhere completely dressed down and anonymous. It means you get good tables in certain restaurants. I don’t particularly like being famous. I didn’t get into this business to be famous, believe me.
What was it like at the peak of the “Dynasty” days? That was tough. Because I was a paparazzi favorite and I was followed by the paparazzi. I remember once I was out in my garden and a helicopter came by. A paparazzi was hanging out with a camera and I was doing some gardening.
What do you remember about winning a Golden Globe for “Dynasty?” I remember when I won it in 1980-something (1983) very clearly, because I went up and I said, “I want to thank Sophia Loren for turning down the role (laughs).” Yes, I was thrilled. I have it on the shelf at my apartment here, with various other awards.
Talk about your musical side. I have sung several times on the screen. Tony (ex-husband, singer-songwriter Anthony Newley) and I made a record together shortly before we split up, which I have given to close friends, in which I sing about eight or nine songs. I sing a ballad with him, which is really good.
And then he did a movie called “Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humpee and Find True Happiness?” I sang in that, twice. I sang with Bing Crosby as well. I sang with Debbie Reynolds and Shirley MacLaine in “These Old Broads.”
And I just sang again in this movie that I made last year called “The Time of Their Lives” with Pauline Collins.
Was there any role that you really wanted but did not get? Yes, “Cleopatra.”
Do you still go after roles that you want? No, I am not one of those people who go into a room and immediately start saying hello to everybody.
I am afraid I am lazy in that respect. I expect my agent to do the work and he doesn’t do a great job. I mean, this “American Horror Story” fell into my lap because of my chance meeting with Ryan.
What kind of advice would you give your younger self? You are better than you think you are.
Looking back, what would you have done differently? Well, a couple of husbands (laughs). Definitely. But I have wonderful children. I gave up my career as it was for awhile. I became a wife and a mother and I was married to Anthony Newley. I raised the children until I had to go back to England and go to work and I had to support the children. So I don’t think that there’s really anything that I think I would have done differently, except for the husbands. Only two of them (laughs).
E-mail rvnepales_5585@yahoo.com. Follow him at https://twitter.com/nepalesruben.