Many lives - Stephanie Beacham

Stephanie Beacham is one of the leading actors of her generation. Now in her 60s, Stephanie looks back over a career spanning 40 years, during which she appeared on stage at some of the most prestigious theatres in the world - from the National Theatre to Broadway. She also made countless appearances on TV in much-loved series including Tenko, Connie, Bad Girls and Coronation Street, and starred in Hollywood feature films alongside some of the greatest actors of their time, including Marlon Brando, Ava Gardner and Sir Anthony Hopkins. But Stephanie is perhaps best known as the smouldering super-bitch Sable Colby, in the role she played alongside Charlton Heston in the long-running blockbuster soap of the 1980s, Dynasty. It was a role that would bring the celebrated beauty worldwide fame and awards.

Off screen, away from the glitz and glamour, Stephanie has faced powerful personal challenges. Born with just 40 per cent hearing, which led to painful childhood taunts, Stephanie reveals how she succeeded in a world where hearing meant everything, and goes on to speak about her struggle to balance her acting with bringing up two young children following a painful divorce. Her inner strength and down-to-earth, pragmatic and witty approach to life have carried her through these intense personal challenges, but coming close to death in her early 30s fired her passion to understand more about spirituality and the nature of our existence. Living for many years in California has enabled her to be a jackdaw, gathering spiritual jewels that she has sprinkled throughout this wise and witty book as a resource for anyone who might find them useful.