Dame Joan Collins candidly discussed her own experiences as a young actress in Hollywood during an appearance on Friday’s The Graham Norton Show.
The actress, 90, described it as a ‘really difficult’ time with producers taking advantage of wannabe stars and said she was even forced to meet one while he was naked in his bath.
She told host Graham, ahead of the release of her new memoir Behind The Shoulder Pads: ‘It was really difficult. Thanks to the Me Too movement it has all come out into the open,’
‘Now and I think young people are having a better chance of not having to face that’.
Joan is best known for her role in 80s soap Dynasty, but also appeared in movies throughout the 50s and 60s alongside the likes of Hollywood superstars Jayne Mansfield and Paul Newman.
Memories: Dame Joan Collins, 90 candidly discussed her own experiences as a young actress in Hollywood during an appearance on Friday’s The Graham Norton Show (pictured with fellow guest Sir Patrick Stewart)
Candid: The actress, 90, described that time in her life as ‘really difficult’ with producers taking advantage of wannabe stars and said she was even forced to meet one while he was naked in his bath (Joan pictured in 1956)
She continued: ‘One experience I had was being asked to meet a producer who was in the bath’.
‘He definitely wasn’t playing with his rubber duck when he asked me to get in with him. When I refused, I was asked to leave, and I didn’t get the part!’.
MeToo is a social movement and awareness campaign against sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and rape culture, in which people publicize their experiences of sexual abuse or sexual harassment.
Other guests on the show included actors Sir Patrick Stewart, Ralph Fiennes and Bella Ramey, Strictly’s Layton Williams as well as music from Zak Abel.
And Patrick, 83, panned his perfomance after rewatching himself as Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek while researching for his new memoir Make It So.
Saying: ‘I watched two whole seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and I was very disappointed in my quality and nature of my work in the first series – It was not real enough’.
He went on: ‘It was very authoritarian and very commanding but was way too stentorian. It was my stage background, and it didn’t work’.
‘In the second series I was much better because I had been working with very good American actors. I watched what they did and played it with the same openness and freedom’.
Honest: She told host Graham, ahead of the release of her new memoir Behind The Shoulder Pads: ‘It was really difficult. Thanks to the Me Too movement it has all come out into the open ,’
Shock: She said of her experience: ‘He definitely wasn’t playing with his rubber duck when he asked me to get in with him. When I refused, I was asked to leave, and I didn’t get the part!’ (l-R) Joan Collins, Patrick Stewart, Ralph Fiennes
Gorgeous: The iconic actress looked glamorous in a gold sequin gown
Harry Potter star Ralph, 60, was also quick to complain about his own acting and admitted the ‘pain’ of having to watch himself on screen.
Admitting: ‘I have directed three films that I was acting in and had to watch myself which is quite painful’.
‘It is unnerving but for the benefit of the film you have to put yourself under the microscope along with the other actors. I learnt a lot about acting for the screen by going through the editing process. It is very interesting.’
Nodding in agreement Strictly’s Layton, 29, revealed he doesn’t watch back his own performances on the glitzy BBC dance show opting instead to ‘trust the judges’ and ‘move on’.
Unimpressed: And Patrick, 83, panned his perfomance after rewatching himself as Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek while researching for his new memoir Make It So
Actors: Patrick (L) saw Ralph (C) and Bella (R) both agree, admitting they struggled to watch themsleves on screen
Growing up: Speaking about her first adult role in upcoming BBC drama Time Bella laughed: ‘I stayed on my own in Liverpool, so it was a lot of firsts. I didn’t go wild, I just watched Finding Nemo – it was key to leaving the role behind’
And The Last of Us’ Bella, 20, appeared on the show to discuss her first adult role in BBC drama Time.
She laughed: ‘I look about 14 so this the first time I have played someone my age. It was also the first time I was on set without my mum being my chaperone’.
‘I stayed on my own in Liverpool, so it was a lot of firsts. I didn’t go wild, I just watched Finding Nemo – it was key to leaving the role behind.’
The Graham Norton Show, BBC One, Friday October 20 at 10.40pm. Also available on BBC iPlayer
Guests: (L-R) Dame Joan Collins, Sir Patrick Stewart, Ralph Fiennes, Graham Norton, Bella Ramsey, Layton Williams and Zak Abel
