 In 1981, she landed the role of Alexis Carrington, the vengeful and scheming ex-wife of John Forsythe's character, in the 1980s prime time soap opera "Dynasty", which made her an international superstar and brought her a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in 1982.In 2015, Collins was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II for services to charity.Collins was born in Paddington, London, and brought up in Maida Vale, the daughter of Elsa Collins (née Bessant, 1906–1962), a dance teacher, and Joseph William Collins (1902–1988), a talent agent whose clients would later include Shirley Bassey, the Beatles and Tom Jones.