Dame Joan Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress who became an international superstar as the scheming Alexis Colby in the 1980s soap opera Dynasty, a role that earned her a Golden Globe Award in 1982 and a Primetime Emmy nomination. Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, she signed with 20th Century Fox in the 1950s, starring in films like The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing and Land of the Pharaohs. After a varied career, she returned to prominence in the 2010s with roles in The Royals and American Horror Story: Apocalypse. Collins is recognized as one of the last remaining stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Beyond acting, she is a celebrated author and philanthropist, and in 2015 she was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II for her charitable services to children. Her father was a talent agent whose clients included the Beatles and Shirley Bassey.