Llanelli Star

I’m at a time in my life now I’m not going to do anything I don’t enjoy

-

At 85 you are as glamorous as ever. What is your secret? MOISTURISE­R. I have a jar next to my sink and whenever I wash my hands or my face I apply it... and I am very into healthy eating. You have to eat healthily. I had a bowl of cereal with grapes and bananas – not very much – for breakfast and that will last me.

I won’t have any lunch today because I’ve got a charity tea for the Shooting Star Children’s Hospice, which helps terminally ill children and their families.

We had a very nice evening at Buckingham Palace recently for the charity with Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, and it was lovely. It was thanking and honouring all those involved in the charity.

Do people treat you differentl­y since you became a Dame?

IT does not affect me at all in America. They never call me Dame there. They don’t really know what it means. They call me Dame Collins or Lady Jane sometimes, but I’m very proud to be a Dame.

It really is the highest that the Queen can bestow on you. Some of my friends jokingly call me Dame Joan.

What was it like recently working on the latest series of US TV hit American Horror Story: Apocalypse?

IT WAS very interestin­g. I was with some fabulous actors like Kathy Bates, who was absolutely marvellous. I really adore her and she’s become a very good friend.

Sarah Paulson is also a great actress and there was young actor Evan Peters, who is marvellous. It was a very nice experience and, of course, there was writer and producer Ryan Murphy, who is the new wunderkid.

You played two characters in the show including one named Bubbles McGee?

(LAUGHS) She was such a great character and with a name like Bubbles McGee you have to go over the top. She had silver white hair and you’d think a silver Jean Harlowlike wig would be easy to find in Hollywood, but I’m afraid it’s not. I think we found the only one in the whole of Hollywood.

They had the most fabulous hair and make-up people on the show, absolutely fantastic, and they pick up Emmys all the time. The latest one was for The Assassinat­ion Of Gianni Versace.

Bubbles was such a marvellous character. I’m an actress and I like to play all kinds of roles.

You will be heading out on tour as yourself next year for Joan Collins “Unscripted” what do you have planned?

WELL, for a start, this will be the last tour – the last chance for people to ask me questions. There are not going to be any more. We were supposed to be doing the tour in September, which is a very good month for travelling, and then American Horror Story came along and the tour has now been changed to February, which is not a good month to go travelling. I’m going to have to take lots of thermals just in case... and my make-up.

What form does the show take? WE have lots and lots of clips of various things I have done – I have done quite a lot of films – and there will be some clips of American Horror Story as well.

My husband Percy is going to be on stage with me as well. He’s so much better than I am and very funny. We have a very good rapport and make a good double act. It just seemed like a good idea to do it together.

We did one show together and it was very popular and we’ve just continued doing it. It’s unscripted, so can anything happen?

YES, but I hope the audience will have a certain amount of respect. But if they do ask something that I don’t want to answer I have Percy.

If there’s anything non-PC, or whatever the latest jargon is, I won’t necessaril­y answer them.

Your career spans everything from films like Sea Wife and The Stud to Dynasty and British comedy Benidorm. What memorable moments do you feature in the show?

I HAVE met so many people. When I was a child Gene Kelly was one of my favourite actors and when I was doing a TV mini-series called Sins in the 1980s, which I was producing, starring and also in charge of casting, I decided it would be great to have Gene play my older husband.

I went to visit him at his hotel when he was in Paris. I’d known him since I first came to Hollywood and he just said ‘Of course, anything for you Kiddo’.

Where do you most feel at home?

I FEEL at home wherever I am. My house in the south of France is very French, my London apartment flat is more classic and traditiona­l and my flat in America is more Hollywood.

I’ll be spending Christmas with my family in London and on most of the tour dates I can get home to London. I’ll be touring up to the north for the last ones and we’re going to stay in a hotel then so we don’t have to travel.

There’s already been heavy snow in New York and I don’t want to be travelling around in a snow storm.

You won the best actress award at the Los Angeles Shorts Internatio­nal Film Festival this year for your performanc­e in Gerry. What keeps you acting? I’M at a certain time in my life now that I’m not going to do anything I don’t enjoy. I enjoy performing, that is not a problem, but travelling takes a lot out of you.

Acting in Gerry was fun and something totally different. I don’t think anyone really recognised me.

■ Joan Collins Unscripted tours from February 15.

■ For tour details go to seetickets.com/tour/joan-collins and joancollin­s.com

 ??  ?? Dame Joan – always the personific­ation of glamour – is soon to embark on a final onewoman tour
Dame Joan – always the personific­ation of glamour – is soon to embark on a final onewoman tour
 ??  ?? Dame Joan on the set of Sins in the 1980s and with her husband Percy
Dame Joan on the set of Sins in the 1980s and with her husband Percy

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom