Joan Collins Reveals That Marilyn Monroe Gave Her a Warning about Hollywood
When Joan Collins was just getting her start, she was able to meet the irreplaceable Marilyn Monroe. Despite their brief meeting, Collins recalls how Monroe gave her an ominous warning to watch out in Hollywood. In her new memoir, “Behind the Shoulder Pads: Tales I Tell My Friends,” she opens up about the encounter.
Collins said, “I only met her once. She was sitting at the bar at Gene Kelly’s house. Gene Kelly and a group of friends were talking animatedly about politics. She was looking lonely and lost. I also felt lonely and lost. I had just come to Hollywood. I was 20 years old and feeling a bit out of it. So I went and spoke to her. She was very sweet, gentle, kind.”
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She added, “She gave me some good advice. She said, ‘Watch out for the wolves in Hollywood, honey.’ I told her, ‘Well, I’ve been an actress for three years already doing British films, and we have wolves there, too.’ My father gave me good advice on how to deal with them.” Monroe added that the ones in Hollywood seemed to be worse. Unfortunately, Collins encountered such a scenario just a few days later. She revealed that a producer trapped her against a wall and put some moves on her. Luckily, she was able to get away but learned all too well the sexist nature of Hollywood.
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In her book, she shares stories of similar encounters with Hollywood producers over the years and how she often had to dodge dangerous meetings. Not only that, but she claims that some of her former co-stars including George Peppard and Richard Burton wanted to sleep with her, and when she rejected them, they were unkind to her on the set.
Purchase “Behind the Shoulder Pads: Tales I Tell My Friends” on Amazon.
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