Joan Collins Shares Her Love for Film and How Dancing Lessons Prepare Her for the Cannes Red Carpet

EXCLUSIVE: Dame Joan Collins continues to defy age with a passion that rivals actors half her age. With a career spanning 75 years, from a post-war starlet with the Rank Organisation to her iconic role in Dynasty, she remains vibrant and ambitious.

Candid in her reflections, Collins shared her perspective on physical activity: “I’ve never liked walking. Whenever I saw that the Queen or the Queen Mother were having walks, I thought, ‘How can they do that? How boring?’ The only time I want to walk is when I’m walking around Selfridges department store.”

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At the Cannes Film Festival, French actor Laurent Lafitte is set to escort Collins as she navigates a throng of photographers into the Grand Auditorium. There, she will witness Lord of the Rings filmmaker Peter Jackson receive an honorary lifetime achievement Palme d’Or and the premiere of Pierre Salvadori’s romantic comedy, The Electric Kiss.

In a deliberate choice, Collins has chosen to take Lafitte’s arm instead of her husband, Percy Gibson’s. Lafitte plays a pivotal role alongside Collins in My Duchess, directed by Mike Newell from a script by Louise Fennell. The film delves into the troubled final years of Wallis Simpson, the American divorcee whose love affair with Edward VIII precipitated his abdication from the British throne.

Portraying a figure renowned for her elegance, Collins embodies not only the Duchess’s physicality but her emotional journey. “I didn’t care how I looked,” she remarked, emphasizing the film’s commitment to authenticity.

Joan Collins as the Duchess of Windsor in ‘My Duchess’
Rory Mulvey/John Gore Studios

The film, a project Collins has pursued for 30 years, addresses serious themes, including the psychological torment inflicted on the Duchess by her lawyer, Maitre Suzanne Blum, portrayed by Isabella Rossellini. Collins embraces this challenge, shedding her glamorous persona. She willingly relinquished control of her appearance, stating, “I just laid back and they did it.”

Through her powerful performance, Collins illustrates the Duchess’s tragic descent, emphasizing the film’s critique of elder abuse. “It’s shocking,” she noted, shedding light on the real-life neglect faced by Simpson during her later years.

Joan Collins at RADA
Courtesy of RADA

Collins, who will celebrate her silver wedding anniversary with Gibson soon, remains vibrant and relevant in the ever-changing entertainment landscape. Her reflections on aging reveal a belief in the importance of self-care and awareness of the challenges faced by seniors today. “It’s a pretty scary world, isn’t it?” she remarked, highlighting the fears many older city dwellers experience.

During our meeting at London’s Peninsula Hotel, Collins maintained a sense of humor about her long career and the various ups and downs it has entailed. “I think I’m very street-savvy and knowledgeable about things. I’ve been there, done that, got the T-shirt, as they say,” she quipped.

With her 93rd birthday approaching, Collins is experiencing a renaissance in her career. Having recently wrapped filming My Duchess, she reflects on her deep connection to Wallis Simpson: the painstaking process of understanding Simpson’s life, including getting insight from former Windsor associates.

Ultimately, through her performance and ongoing projects, Collins aims to reshape the narrative surrounding Simpson, presenting her in a more compassionate light. With a powerful message of resilience and a commitment to art, Dame Joan Collins continues to captivate audiences, proving that some legends only grow brighter with time.

Isabella Rossellini and Joan Collins in ‘My Duchess’
Rory Mulvey/John Gore Studios

Collins’s experience highlights the complexities of legacy and representation in film, showing how art can sometimes reshape public perceptions, particularly of figures like Simpson who have faced severe criticism throughout history.

Sewn into the fabric of British cinema, Collins remains an enduring symbol of talent, resilience, and the ever-evolving story of an actress determined to leave her mark.