'Hated the way my body was changing': Joan Collins reveals why she wanted to be a boy in her teenage years
ST TROPEZ, FRANCE: Joan Collins, an English actress, author, and columnist, recently opened up about the time she went through puberty and did not like it at all. Easily considered one of Hollywood's most glamorous stars, the Golden Globe Award recipient has rocked the film industry for more than 70 years. While people remain in awe when it comes to her beauty, there was a time when Collins desperately wanted to be a boy.
While talking to Saga Magazine, the 89-year-old actress got candid and shared her frustration with transitioning into a woman. The Emmy-nominated actress said, "I remember going through puberty at 14 and hating the way my body was changing. I hated everything that was happening. So I rebelled and wore boys clothes. I wore corduroys and scraped my hair back. I even went to football matches with my father." When asked about what was the turning point where she dropped the idea of being a boy, she said, "I think when I went on holiday to France when I was around 15 when they discovered me!"
RELATED ARTICLES
Who are Joan Collins' children? Actress, 88, says ex-husband Maxwell Reed raped her
The 'Dynasty' actress is said to have broken many hearts back in her days as she overwhelmed many Hollywood stars with her beauty. As for her love life, Collins had to marry and divorce four times to find "the one". Collins is married to Percy Gibson, 57, for the last 20 years. But before this, Collins married to Maxwell Reed in 1952, then to British pop star Anthony in 1963 with whom she shares two children Tara and Alexander, now 58 and 56. She then married Ron Kass in 1972 with whom she welcomed daughter Katyana, 49. After divorcing Kass in 1983, she met the Scandinavian singer Peter Holm but they split in two years.
Joan Collins reflects on her teenage days
For a star as big as Collins who is primarily known for her looks, the natural transitioning, she says, was not a treat for her. Almost touching 90, Collins said she believes she is still 40 years old and thinks it's rude to ask a woman her age or discuss it. She said, "My mother’s generation never did it. But you know, people have been calling me an older woman since I was 38!"
Talking about the ageist attitude in the entertainment industry, she thinks the tide has now changed as older women are getting more roles than before. Reflecting on the same, she said, "I think maybe at last producers and directors have realized that if they are going to be showing real life in the movies, then they are going to have to have people who are older. Look at Helen Mirren and Judi Dench, they are far more popular than me."
Collins recently filmed a medieval series titled 'Glow and Darkness' alongside Jane Seymour, and a film called 'Tomorrow Morning', which is scheduled for release in late 2022. It looks like the actress will not be retiring anytime soon as she said, "People say, why don’t you put your feet up? I do put my feet up and I don’t do anything I don’t enjoy."
She is currently vacationing in her St Tropez villa which she describes as a "paradise."