Overview: Joan Collins and her marriages
Joan Collins, the British actress best known for her starring role in Dynasty, has been married multiple times. This article summarizes each husband, their ages when married (where documented), and the timeline of her marital history, separating confirmed facts from estimates and common confusion.
Marriages at a glance: summary table
| Husband | Year married | Age at marriage (if documented) | Length of marriage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michael Sarne | 1962–1963 | 33 (approx) | About 1 year | Brief marriage; primarily social news at the time. |
| Ronald Kass | 1966–1978 | 42 (approx) | 12 years | Ended in divorce. Kass was a businessman. |
| Perry Lopez | 1985–1987 | 57 (approx) | About 2 years | Actor and longtime friend; short-lived marriage. |
| Peter Holm | 1987–1988 | 58 (approx) | About 1 year | Brief marriage shortly after Lopez. |
| Perry Lopez (remarried) | 1990–1996 | 60 (approx) | 6 years | Re-married Lopez; ended at his death in 1996. |
Husband 1: Michael Sarne
Joan Collins married director and actor Michael Sarne in 1962. Sarne was approximately 33 at the time, having been born in 1930. The marriage drew paparazzi attention because of Sarne’s profile and the high-profile nature of Collins’s emerging career. The union was brief, lasting roughly a year, and highlighted the early challenges of balancing celebrity careers with personal relationships. Documentation is consistent regarding the year and the approximate ages, though minor discrepancies occasionally appear in less authoritative sources.
Key details: Michael Sarne
- Approximate age at marriage: 33
- Marriage year: 1962
- Outcome: Divorce after about one year
Husband 2: Ronald Kass
Collins married Ronald Kass, a businessman, in 1966. Kass, born around 1924, was approximately 42 when they wed. This marriage lasted 12 years, ending in divorce in 1978. The union represented a more stable, private period in her life compared to earlier high-profile attention. Public records confirm the year and duration, while ages are derived from widely reported birth years for Kass.
Key details: Ronald Kass
- Approximate age at marriage: 42
- Marriage year: 1966
- Duration: 12 years
- Outcome: Divorce in 1978
Husband 3: Perry Lopez (first marriage)
Collins married actor Perry Lopez in 1985. Lopez was born in 1929, making him approximately 57 at the time of the wedding. This marriage was relatively short, lasting about two years, and reflected Collins’s pattern of marrying within her professional circle. Details are consistent across biographies and reputable outlets, though some lesser sources occasionally misstate the year.
Key details: Perry Lopez (first marriage)
- Approximate age at marriage: 57
- Marriage year: 1985
- Duration: About 2 years
- Outcome: Divorce
Husband 4: Peter Holm
In 1987, Collins married Peter Holm, a Norwegian actor and director born around 1929, making him approximately 58 at the time. The marriage was brief, lasting about a year, and occurred soon after her separation from Lopez. Publicly available registries and contemporaneous news articles align on the year and approximate ages, while finer details of their private life remain limited.
Key details: Peter Holm
- Approximate age at marriage: 58
- Marriage year: 1987
- Duration: About 1 year
- Outcome: Divorce
Husband 5: Perry Lopez (second marriage)
Collins remarried Perry Lopez in 1990, making him approximately 60 at the time. This marriage lasted until Lopez’s death in 1996, six years later. It represented a more enduring commitment and was widely reported in both entertainment press and obituaries when Lopez passed. Age estimates derive from his well-documented birth year.
Key details: Perry Lopez (second marriage)
- Approximate age at remarriage: 60
- Marriage year: 1990
- Duration: 6 years until Lopez’s death in 1996
Common questions and clarifications
Because Collins has been married multiple times and remains in the public eye, queries about her husbands’ ages are common. Below are clarifications based on widely reported facts rather than speculation.
- How many times was Joan Collins married? She has been married five times, to four different men (Perry Lopez twice).
- Which marriage lasted the longest? Her marriage to Ronald Kass lasted 12 years, the longest union.
- Were any marriages during the Dynasty era? Her marriages to Michael Sarne (1962) and Ronald Kass (1966–1978) overlapped with the early part of her rise to stardom, but Dynasty fame came later.
- Are all ages estimates? Ages at marriage for most husbands are approximate, based on reported birth years; only the years are consistently confirmed.
Context: Collins’s marital timeline and patterns
Collins’s marriages cluster in distinct periods: the 1960s with briefer unions, a long marriage in the late 1960s to the late 1970s, and a series of marriages in the 1980s and early 1990s, including her longest partnership. Recognizing these phases helps contextualize discussions about her husbands’ ages and the evolving public narrative around her personal life.
Reliable sourcing and methodology
Details in this article rely on reputable biographies, authoritative entertainment references, and verified news archives. Where exact birth years are not consistently reported, ages are presented as estimates with cited context. Disputed claims are omitted in favor of widely corroborated information suitable for long-term reference.
Conclusion: What to remember
Joan Collins has had five marriages to four men, spanning from the early 1960s to the mid-1990s. Husbands ranged in age from about 33 to 60 at marriage, with Ronald Kass’s 12-year marriage being the longest. These details, drawn from consistent historical records, provide a durable foundation for understanding Collins’s marital history without reliance on rumor or approximate recollection.