Dame Joan Collins has revealed her own experiences of s**ual harassment in Hollywood, including being forced to hide in a wardrobe and frequently escaping the “clutches” of n-ked producers.

Speaking on ITV’s This Morning, the legendary actress said she had also been warned by Marilyn Monroe to “watch out for the wolves in Hollywood” and that she would be dropped if she didn’t give bosses “what they want”.

Dame Joan believes that many people in the industry, both in Hollywood and the British film industry, are “quaking in their boots” in the wake of allegations made against Harvey Weinstein.

Dame Joan said she experienced harassment on both sides of the Atlantic, starting when she was 16 and entered the industry.

She spoke about one producer at Ealing Studios who would frequently try to catch her and push her against the wall, stroke her arm, and smell her.

One day, he finally caught her, and a dresser hid her in a wardrobe. Shortly after that, he did get her in his car, where he behaved inappropriately.

He insinuated that if she didn’t go along with what he was doing, she wouldn’t get the role.

Luckily, the director wanted her and she got the part, but she had to escape from the producer’s clutches all the time.

Dame Joan said that when she first started out, she didn’t think this had anything to do with getting the part.

“But of course it did,” she said. “It was a very important lesson to learn.” Older actresses told her it was part of the job, but she refused to accept it.

She was also humiliated by two “famous megastars” at a party who pulled down her top.

Revealing another horrific experience with a producer, she said he grabbed her in the corridor and said the most horrible vile things to her, and had in his office a gold paperweight made of his nether regions, which was supposedly the stuff of legend.

“I don’t want to know that legend,” she said.

Dame Joan also admitted that she lost the role of Cleopatra to Liz Taylor because she resisted producers.

“The role was dangled like a cherry,” she said, and the men trying to s**ually harass her were “fat, old and hideous”.

She believes that following the allegations made against Harvey Weinstein, a lot more people in the industry will fear their dark secrets being exposed.

“I think a lot of people, not only in Hollywood, but in the British film industry are quaking in their boots. Not only is it endemic, it’s acceptance,” she said. “I have a grandchild who wants to be in showbiz and I don’t want her to have to go through what I had to go through.”

Dame Joan said that Marilyn Monroe was very protective of her and warned her about the “wolves in Hollywood”.

“She said, ‘If they want you to go to the party, go to the party, but if they want you to go to the bedroom, that’s not where you want to go,'” Dame Joan recalled. “I think that was very good advice.”

The actress, who is currently appearing in American TV series American Horror Story, said she had always been outspoken and that it was important for women to speak out.

“I think that there are a lot of women who are afraid to speak out, and I think they have to speak out,” she said.

“I don’t think there’s any shame in being the victim, the shame is in not doing anything about it.”

Dame Joan also said that she was fortunate to have a supportive husband who would have dealt with any harassers, but that not all women had that support. She called for more women to be in positions of power in the industry,

saying that they should be producers, directors, and executives. “Women need to be in charge,” she said. “They need to be the ones who can say, ‘No, this is not acceptable.’ Women need to have power, and they need to have a voice.”

Dame Joan’s comments come in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal, which has rocked Hollywood and led to a wave of allegations against other powerful men in the industry.

She said she was not surprised by the allegations, but that she was surprised by how many women had come forward.

“It’s not just Hollywood, it’s everywhere,” she said.

“It’s in every industry. It’s not just about s**, it’s about power. It’s about men who think they can get away with anything because they’re powerful. And that’s what we have to change.”

Dame Joan has been a vocal advocate for women’s rights throughout her career.

She was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1997 for her services to drama and charity, and was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in 2015 for her services to charity.

She has also been a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador since 1994, and has worked to raise awareness of issues such as poverty, hunger, and disease.

In 2019, she was awarded the Humanitarian Award at the Monte Carlo Television Festival.

Dame Joan is currently starring in American Horror Story: Apocalypse, which premiered on FX in September 2018.

The series is a crossover between the show’s first and third seasons, and features Dame Joan as the character Evie Gallant.

Despite her experiences in the industry, Dame Joan said she still loved acting and that she was grateful for her career.

“I’ve been very lucky,” she said. “I’ve had a wonderful career, and I’ve worked with some amazing people. I love acting, and I love being on set. It’s a wonderful feeling to be able to bring a character to life.”

She also had advice for young women entering the industry. “Be strong, be tough, be determined,” she said.

“Don’t let anyone push you around. Believe in yourself, and don’t be afraid to speak out. And most importantly, never give up. Keep going, keep pushing, and keep fighting.”