Career: Collins' film debut came in 1951's Lady Godiva Rides Again. Later in the decade she moved to Hollywood to make more movies and US TV series, including Star Trek, The Man From UNCLE and Batman. She also starred in low-budget horrors such as Fear in the Night, and Tales That Witness Madness, and a series of famous adverts alongside Leonard Rossiter. The Stud and The Bitch - movie versions of her sister's novels - turned her into a sex symbol. She became an international star in 1981 thanks to glossy soap Dynasty. Since then she's starred in various TV movies and mini-series appeared on stage and turned to writing. She was awarded an OBE in 2007 for her lifetime contribution to the arts and her charity work and was made a Dame in the New Year's honours list.

Career: Collins made her West End debut in 1967. She starred in the first series of sitcom The Liver Birds, but didn't become a household name until getting a regular role in Upstairs Downstairs in 1971. She also starred in its spin-off, Thomas and Sarah. Collins continued to work steadily through the 1980s until landing the role of Shirley Valentine in the original stage production. She won numerous awards for her performance both in London and New York, then reprised the role in the 1989 movie version, for which she was Oscar-nominated. Since then she's starred in such projects as The Ambassador, Forever Green, City of Joy, Paradise Road, Bleak House, Doctor Who, Agatha Christie's Marple, and Merlin.