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Jackie Collins Biography

Jackie Collins, an English writer and novelist, was born on October 4, 1937, in London, England. She was the daughter of Joseph Collins, an agent whose clients included the Beatles and Tom Jones. Interestingly, Joseph was born in South Africa and was Jewish, while Elsa (Bessant), Jackie's mother, was Anglican. Jackie had an older sister, Joan, who later became a famous actress, and a younger brother, Bill.

At the age of 15, Collins was expelled from school and immediately threw her uniform into the Thames. She then began acting in films, including the series 'Danger Man' and 'The Saint'. Although she eventually ended her acting career, she later appeared as herself in several TV shows.

Collins' first novel, 'The World Is Full of Married Men', was published in 1968 and caused controversy. It was banned in Australia and South Africa, and received negative reviews from famous writer D.B. Cartland. However, the scandal surrounding the novel contributed to its popularity in England and the USA, where it became a bestseller. Her second and third novels, 'The Stud' and 'Sunday Simmons & Charlie Brick', followed a similar pattern of scandal and success.

In 1974, Collins released 'Lovehead' (later renamed 'The Love Killers'), her first crime novel, which turned out to be a golden genre for her. In the 1970s, she published two more books, 'The World Is Full Of Divorced Women' (1975) and 'Lovers & Gamblers' (1977), the latter being her longest novel.

Collins also ventured into screenwriting. In 1969, she wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation of her novel 'The Stud', in which her sister Joan Collins starred. She went on to write the sequel, 'The Bitch', which was also adapted into a film with Joan in the lead role. Collins also wrote the screenplays for the films 'The World Is Full Of Married Men' and 'Yesterday's Hero' in the 1970s.

In the 1980s, Collins moved to Los Angeles with her family. It was here that she created her most famous character, the seductive beauty Lucky Santangelo, the daughter of a gangster. In 1983, Collins released her most scandalous novel, 'Hollywood Wives', which sold 15 million copies worldwide and reached the top of the New York Times bestseller list. The release of the novel brought Jackie Collins to the same level of fame as her sister Joan, who was starring in the highly popular series 'Dynasty' at the time.

Collins continued writing about Lucky Santangelo in the books 'Lucky', 'Hollywood Husbands', 'Rock Star', and 'Lady Boss'. She also produced a TV series based on the first two books. In the 1990s and 2000s, Collins released several more novels, including 'American Star', 'Hollywood Kids', 'Vendetta: Lucky's Revenge', 'Thrill', and 'L.A. Connections' featuring a new character, journalist Madison Castelli.

In addition to her successful writing career, Collins faced personal tragedies. Her husband, Oscar Lerman, passed away from cancer while she was working on the screenplay for the TV adaptation of 'Lady Boss'. She later became engaged to Frank Calcagnini, but he also died of cancer in 1998. Despite these hardships, Collins continued writing and released more novels, including 'Hollywood Wives: The New Generation', 'Hollywood Divorces', 'Lovers & Players', and 'Drop Dead Beautiful'.

Jackie Collins' books have sold over 400 million copies and have been translated into 40 languages. Eight of her novels have been adapted into films or TV series. Collins's legacy continues with the announcement of the release of her novel 'Goddess of Vengeance' in 2010, continuing the story of Lucky Santangelo.