From IMDB bio/trivia page:

She went into modeling after failing her audition at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She was told she was “Too fat and too ugly!“

Is one of the most respected British actresses despite the fact she has had no acting training.

Cuts and dyes her own hair.

An aspiring actress, she first came to fame as a model in London’s swinging 1960s, where she was photographed by the greats, including her friend, the late Patrick Lichfield. She became one of the top ten most-booked models of the 1960s.

Lumley’s breakthrough role was as Purdey in The New Avengers (1976), a role for which over 800 girls auditioned. Purdey propelled Lumley to instant fame and created one of the “must-have” hairstyles of the 1970s — the Purdey bob. Lumley became a pin-up figure for a generation of British males who grew up watching her as the high-kicking action girl.

For me, Joanna Lumley checked a lot of boxes. 6′ 1″ (okay 5′ 8″) of leggy blonde. British accent. Beautiful face. Photographed by the best. Funnier then hell. Could be a very nice person, even if a flaming liberal. Photography 50 years ago was just better. Stunning photos. My favorite episode of hers from Absolutely Fabulous was when she overdid the self-injections of Botox and her face went numb. And I completely forgot! What brought her to mind was I was watching an old movie on TCM, ‘The Satanic Rites of Dracula‘ (1973), when they had one of their spooky satanic rite scenes. It involved this scrumptious looking blonde lying on a slab buck naked while the evil coven leaders did their spells and incantation thing. I thought, “Is that Joanna Lumley?” It was!