Joely was born in
Vancouver,
British Columbia, and raised in London, England. She eventually returned to Vancouver in her early teens. Collins studied at the Vancouver Youth Theatre, and later at London's
Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. She was named Canada's "Best Leading Actress" at the age of 22 for her work on the television series
Madison. She appeared in numerous film and television roles, including the long-running drama
Cold Squad. Collins won the award for Best Actress in a Canadian Film at the
Vancouver Film Critics Circle Awards 2004 for
The Love Crimes of Gillian Guess. In 2009, she co-founded StoryLab Productions and produced the award-winning feature film
Becoming Redwood. Actress
Lily Collins is her half-sister, born to her father Phil Collins and his second wife Jill Tavelman after he and her mother Andrea Bertorelli divorced in 1980. ==Personal life==