Yahoo News Dame Joan Collins Rejected Hollyoaks Role Before 80s Soap Rival Linda Gray Signed Up To The Channel 4 Show
Dame Joan Collins turned down a role in Hollyoaks.
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The 83-year-old actress was offered a part in the Channel 4 soap but after she snubbed the chance, her former soap rival, Dallas star Linda Gray, announced she is going to play Marnie Nightingale’s (Lysette Anthony) mother Tabitha Maxwell-Brown in the show.
Speaking at her new comedy show, Joan Collins - Unscripted, she said: “I was just asked to be in Hollyoaks but I’m not doing it. You know who is doing it? Linda Gray.
"Between filming a movie and my new show I wouldn’t have had time for anything else.”
Joan starred as Alexis Carrington Colby in Dynasty and Linda was known for portraying long-suffering wife Sue Ellen Ewing in CBS’ Dallas between 1978 and 1989.
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Linda announced she had joined Hollyoaks earlier this month and was “thrilled” she had been chosen to play the character, who is described as a “widow and lady who lunches”.
She said at the time: “I’m thrilled to be going from one iconic series to another and can’t wait to work with the fantastic cast.
"Hollyoaks viewers are going to love it when Tabby whips up a storm just like Sue Ellen did.”
While Linda’s appearance in the show is only schedule to last a week, bosses have left the door open for a future return.
Hollyoaks Executive producer Bryan Kirkwood explained: “When we came to discuss who could possibly play Marnie’s [Lysette Anthony] mother the list was very small.
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"Lysette Anthony has fast become a fabulous soap bitch so having Linda Gray play her mother Tabitha is the perfect fit.
"We can’t wait to have an international TV icon arrive in Chester and become part of the Hollyoaks family.”
Linda isn’t the only newbie on the soap as Chelsee Healey has also joined the programme as “tough, gobby and absolutely shameless” Goldie McQueen.
The 28-year-old actress will play a distant member of the no-nonsense family and is set to wreak havoc in Chester when she goes to extreme lengths to make cash for her sons.
