Pauline Collins, Star of the Film Shirley Valentine, Passes Away at Eighty-Five Years Old
The celebrated actress Pauline Collins, widely recognized for her performance in the movie Shirley Valentine, has died at the age of 85.
Her passing was peaceful in her London care home, in the company of her family after living with Parkinson's disease for a number of years, as stated by her relatives.
Collins will be best remembered for her portrayal of disgruntled housewife Shirley in the director's acclaimed film, adapted from the celebrated theatrical production by playwright Willy Russell.
Her praised acting also earned her the Golden Globe Award for outstanding actress along with a Bafta.
'Charming and Witty'
Her relatives released a statement saying: "She was a multifaceted person to countless individuals, playing a variety of roles in her career. A bright, sparky, witty presence on stage and screen. Her distinguished work saw her portray leaders, parents, and royalty."
"Her memory will endure as the iconic, strong-willed, vivacious and wise Shirley Valentine - a part she completely owned. We were familiar with all those parts of her because her magic was contained in every single role."
They added she was their "loving mum, our wonderful grandma and great-grandma", and her husband John Alderton's "life-long love"
"Warm, funny, generous, thoughtful, wise, she was always there for us," they said, appreciating her caregivers, who looked after her with "respect, empathy, and above all affection"
"She experienced a more peaceful goodbye. We hope you will remember her at the height of her powers; so joyful and full of energy; and give us the space and privacy to reflect on life in her absence"
Broadway Role
Collins first played the lead part of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theater in the UK capital in 1988. She won that year's Olivier award for outstanding actress.
A year later she returned to the character on Broadway, New York, where she earned several awards including a esteemed Tony Award.
The film of the same name was released later that year.
Additional movie roles included 1991's City of Joy with actor Patrick Swayze, shot in Kolkata, which gained her international fame globally.
A native of Exmouth in 1940, Collins was raised near Liverpool and began her professional life as a educator.
Her love of the stage inspired her to pursue acting on a side basis, and in 1957 she appeared briefly as a nurse in the TV series Emergency Ward 10.
She starred in the film Secrets of a Windmill Girl in 1966, playing a fictional dancer in a London adult entertainment venue, the Windmill Theatre.
After a number of stage roles, she employed her regional dialect to land a role on the show The Liver Birds.
Her acting career that she met her husband John Alderton. They wed in 1969 and had a family of three, their sons and daughter.
The couple performed alongside each other in a number of television and film roles, such as Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she portrayed a servant in ITV's popular series.
