With her daughters tucked away in English schools this career crazy mum is taking Hollywood by storm

Raunchy British star Stephanie Beacham flew to the United States with two aims: to make as much money as possible and to leave her mark on Tinseltown

Already she has achieved both. She earns a reputed $37,000 an episode in the Dynasty spin-off, The Colbys, and she has made a name for herself with her bitchy remarks and string of handsome escorts.

All this has made her hot news with Hollywood gossip columnists but has not proved so popular with her British boyfriend, actor Martyn Stanbridge. Martyn, 10 years her junior, insists that they are still crazy about each other, even though sexy Stephanie has already admitted the dangers of long-distance love and revealed: "There are cracks in our relationship".

The plain fact is, 38-year-old Stephanie cannot believe her luck in landing the role of Sable Colby. And if the price she has to pay is ending her affair, then so be it. "At 22 I was a victim. Now I'm a predator," she explained.

After years of B movies and relative obscurity, Stephanie Beacham has finally arrived. And she has no intention of giving it up for a jealous young man who phones her every evening from a call-box backstage. She is having the time of her life and making the most of the Californian climate, glamorous clothes and flash cars.

Her childhood hero, Charlton Heston, is playing her husband, timber tycoon Jason Colby. And Barbara Stanwyck another idol - is her sister-in-law, Constance. "Fancy little me playing between two legends like Charlton and Barbara," she said. "What a sandwich!"

Stephanie is sure she was offered the role of Sable Colby because of her success in Connie, the British soap opera soon to be seen in Australia. "Connie had been such a success for me and that was what they cottoned on to," she said.

But Connie was never like The Colbys. Nowadays Stephanie travels in stretch limos - "The one that met me at Los Angeles airport was as big as a bus," she giggled - and dresses the way she always dreamed of.

It might have taken 38 years but Stephanie Beacham is her own woman. She has learned to be tough. "There's no room in modern life for a weepy, vulnerable woman. That's a luxury we can't afford. My parents feel I'm rather materialistic. My mother said to me, 'Don't get hard'. But I want money. I'm a single parent and we need it."

She adores her two daughters Phoebe, 10, and Chloe, eight - by former husband, actor John McEnery. But she has no intention of taking them out of their English boarding schools and bringing them up in the US. "This place reeks. Children get very spoiled and don't learn the true values of life.

"I've told them that mum has gone down the mine to bring back the pot of gold. And that's what I'm doing. Or that's what I think I'm doing. But if it looks like I'll stay in America they'll come, as they do now, for holidays. I cannot do without them. The children are my life. They are the only people to whom I've sworn undying love. Everyone else is just a friend."

Stephanie has always worked hard to support her daughters. "Look after yourself and your children. That's all I care about." A sentiment that her exhusband dismisses as totally phoney. John McEnery blames their break-up on her massive ambition.

He said bitterly: "She wanted to keep herself in the public eye, keep her career ticking over in productions which, frankly, did not have much artistic merit. It paid the mortgage and helped her career but it didn't do much for our marriage."

But Stephanie retorted: "I could cry when I think of all the roles I turned down. And why? Because I was married and John came first. And what was he doing? Playing at the National Theatre, which didn't even pay the rent.

"I gave up a lot for my idea of middleclass marriage. Now I think it's dull and boring and I'm not too keen on it. Once you have one motor accident you don't really want to go in for another."

John said Stephanie is a lot like Connie: "A go-getting, gutsy, totally committed sort of woman who might not know when to back off if she can see a big opportunity in front of her."

In fact, this is exactly how Stephanie views The Colbys. It is a last chance to make a name for herself and to enjoy the good life she has always lusted after.

"Here I am," she said, "working in the capital of the film industry and anyone who doesn't get a thrill when they walk through those gates is a harder person than I am. To be employed is wonderful and to be able to live by the seaside at the same time is having your cake and eating it. I would be pretty silly if I didn't enjoy life."

She admits with unabashed enthusiasm she has her own personal assistant, for the first time in her life. "I've never bothered with anyone like that before and I've always worked very hard. But in this town everyone telephones everyone all the time and leaves messages for the call to be returned."

Stephanie has tried to pretend to herself that she hasn't changed but obviously she has and, what's more, she's happy about it. "I've been stubbornly saying I'm going to be myself. But what do I think I am - perfect? There are all sorts of things I want to change. One of them is the misty side of me I pretend is an artist. But, in fact, it's just a messy, disorganised woman who could do with some sharpening up, please, because I'm sick of her."

So she is more than happy to play the publicity game and sparkle on the Hollywood social scene, each time with a different beau in tow. There were rum ours of a romance with her heartthrob co-star John James when he ditched his fiancee to take Stephanie to a charity dinner, but she said the reports were absolute rubbish. "John is an enchanting man, but I don't see him after work."

Latest gossip links her with musician Mickey Raphael, 33, a member of the Willie Nelson country and western backing band, The hunky harmonica singer said Stephanie is fantastic. "She's a wonderful woman and I love her."

But Stephanie is playing her cards close to her chest. "Mickey's the third man I'm supposed to have had an affair with since I got here," she said. "People interpret two smiles in a row as a certain indication that I'm sleeping with the man of the moment."

She smiled enigmatically and turns to the next topic: her body. There was a time when any comment on her shape or size absolutely infuriated her. Now it merely amuses her. She said old age doesn't terrify her, because there are plenty of good parts around for character actresses.

And she feels she has paid her dues: she's been on stage at the National Theatre in the UK and performed in London's West End. "That proves I can do the job," she said. "It has nothing to do with stardom." But she's glad she's not a young starlet competing against hundreds of identikit clones for parts of little substance.

Instead she enjoys working with Charlton Heston and Barbara Stanwyck. "He rewrites a lot of the dialogue, and she considers the whole thing over the top," Stephanie said. "I'm hiding behind them and making my own small changes here and there. But you don't expect the critics to rave about soaps - I've been taken aback by the favourable response to Sable Colby."

Stephanie may be flippant about her attitude to the US and her co-stars but Hollywood is serious about her. "My agent phoned and said, 'You've made it, kid. Someone just asked me for a Stephanie Beacham type'."