I have girlfriends who've had Botox and been left with lumps in their faces. And the lips, don't even get me started.

I've never been that keen on Shakespeare.

Yes, I love playing cartoony characters. Been known for that.

And I used to write novels and little stories and compositions and I - but I put them away because I started acting when I was 17. So there wasn't much time.

But I have had to give up certain things in my life. One is shopping. Two is lunch with the girls. Three is cocktail parties, and four is studying my lines.

Every woman should wear make-up. It takes years off. I'm wearing lots of false eyelashes today, and to me, lipstick is the best cosmetic that exists.

If I need to cheer myself up, I will put on some fabulous '40s musical on video. But I'm very lucky; I seldom get depressed. Without question, I'm a 'glass half full' person. In fact, it's three-quarters full!

I do think it's very important, if you're going to spend the rest of your life with somebody, to know that you really like them. Because when the pheromones wear off, which of course they will, you have to have a strong basis.

And the truth is I've always taken very good care of my skin, and always, always worn make-up.

I was a pin-up girl. I did it for 30 years and, quite frankly, it gets a bit boring.

I was so fortunate to work closely with the designer Nolan Miller whilst on 'Dynasty' to create the wardrobe for Alexis Carrington Colby, and we had great fun sourcing outfits.

I am a fan of marriage and a fan of being committed to the right person.

I think it has something to do with being British. We don't take ourselves as seriously as some other countries do. I think a lot of people take themselves far too seriously; I find that a very tedious attitude.

I do it because I love acting, I love working, and whether it's radio, television, films, theater, I don't care as long as I can get out there and do it.

I'm a bit shy, I suppose, and a bit lazy.

I used to go over to Gene Kelly's house and play volleyball, and Paul Newman and Marlon Brando were always there. You kind of took it for granted because I was 20, 21, 22, and they were a bit older - well, Gene certainly was. But it was just part of daily living. They were in the same profession, and you didn't think that much about it.

And I kissed a lot of frogs as well, but no, I kissed a lot of frogs and now I've found my prince.

I've said no to 'Celebrity Big Brother,' 'Strictly,' and the American one, 'Dancing With The Stars.' I don't feel it's right for me. I've been asked to do reality TV a zillion times. No way. No way. Nobody's going to get into my living room and see me there.

Of course it's true: the public want to see young people - young people are the people who go to the cinema. It's a sad fact of life, but you've got to accept it and not whine about it.

The secret of having a personal life is not answering too many questions about it.

I have never been the mousy, stand-two-paces-behind, obedient 'little woman' type.

One of the rules about being an actor or an actress is that you never diss other actors or actresses, particularly when you don't know them.

Dynasty was the opportunity to take charge of my career rather than waiting around like a library book waiting to be loaned out.

I do all my own make-up, it takes me 10 minutes.

Loneliness is the universal problem of rich people.

And I think of that again as I've written in several of my beauty books, a lot of health comes from the proper eating habits, which are something that - you know, I come from a generation that wasn't - didn't have a lot of food.

And then I wrote my first autobiography when I - well, it was 23 years ago. And since then I've written about one book every two years.

And we have not found any generational gap at all. If he wants to go a football game, he goes. If I want to go to a fashion show, I go. We don't have to do everything together. But we like doing most things together.

Basically, though, I believe in eating well, not eating too much but eating a variety of foods.

I don't believe in dieting.

I don't buy into you're on the slag heap when you're 40 or 50 or 60 or 70 or whatever.

I have a lot of male friends.

I have the absolute utmost respect for soap opera actors now. They work harder than any actor I know in any other medium. And they don't get very much approbation for it.

I really feel now like a native New Yorker. And I'm very happy here.

I think health is another exceedingly important thing.

I think, Larry, one of the things is I'm a very active person.

I'm older than my sister so I started writing first. I started writing at school. I was always top of my class in composition, essays, English Lit and all of that.

I've never yet met a man who could look after me. I don't need a husband. What I need is a wife.

The easiest way to convince my kids that they don't really need something is to get it for them.

I have always tried to live my life with enthusiasm and pleasure.

I think you always have to use certain parts of yourself in any role.

I've three children, three grandchildren, I work, I travel, and I'm very happily married. I'm very satisfied and happy with my life and there really isn't anything I want.

I think it is shocking that 15- and 16-year-olds leave school unable to add up and with the reading ability of a four-year-old.

When I was at school, I was terrible at algebra and arithmetic, but I was always the best at English and literature. And acting, of course.

My parents instilled in me that life was going to be very difficult and that I'd have to work for everything.

It is unseemly to undress on stage. I won't do that.

If I hear the word 'retire,' it makes me want to throw up. And then do what? Sit around all day watching television?

What is so weird is that young people who want to be 'celebrities' do not want to put in the hard work. They don't want to do the training, go to drama school, read Shakespeare, try different accents and study technique. They just want to be famous. It is not just in England; it's the same in America and all over Europe.

I was voted the most beautiful girl in the world in 1958, and courted by every young, available man in Los Angeles, most of whom I didn't go out with, by the way.

I've become totally hooked on Cellex-C. It's an anti-ageing serum and is fantastic. I use it morning and evening and even on my hands, where it has faded those dark spots.