Pauline Collins, Star of Shirley Valentine, Dies at 85
Pauline Collins, best known for her role in the film Shirley Valentine, has died at the age of 85.
Her passing was peaceful in her London care home, in the company of her loved ones after battling Parkinson's disease for several years, according to her family.
Her legacy will be defined for her depiction of disgruntled housewife Shirley in Lewis Gilbert's award-winning film, adapted from the acclaimed stage play by playwright Willy Russell.
Her praised acting won her the Golden Globe for best actress as well as a BAFTA award.
'Charming and Witty'
Collins' family released a statement saying: "Pauline was so many things to countless individuals, portraying diverse characters in her career. An intelligent, lively, and humorous figure on theater and film. Her illustrious career saw her play politicians, mothers and queens."
"Her memory will endure as the legendary, determined, lively, and insightful Shirley Valentine - a part she completely owned. We were familiar with all those aspects of her personality because her charm was embedded in each one of them."
They added she was their "loving mum, our wonderful grandma and great-grandma", and actor John Alderton's "eternal partner"
"Kind, humorous, giving, considerate, intelligent, she was constantly supportive," they expressed, appreciating her carers, who cared for her with "dignity, compassion, and most of all love"
"She experienced a calmer departure. We ask that you recall her at the peak of her career; radiant and energetic; and give us the space and privacy to contemplate a life without her"
Stage Success
Collins first played the title role of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theater in the UK capital in 1988. She received that year's Olivier Award for outstanding actress.
The following year she reprised the role on Broadway, New York, where she picked up numerous prizes including a esteemed Tony Award.
The movie adaptation was launched shortly after.
Her other films included 1991's City of Joy with Patrick Swayze, shot in Kolkata, which brought her wider recognition worldwide.
A native of Exmouth in 1940, she grew up near Liverpool and began her professional life as a educator.
Her love of the stage led her to take up acting on a side basis, and in 1957 she had a cameo role as a nurse in the TV series Emergency Ward 10.
She starred in the film Secrets of a Windmill Girl in 1966, portraying an imaginary performer in a London adult entertainment venue, the Windmill Theater.
After a number of stage roles, she employed her regional dialect to land a role on the show The Liver Birds.
It was through acting that she met her husband John Alderton. They wed in 1969 and had a family of three, Nicholas, Kate, and Richard.
The couple performed together in a variety of screen projects, such as Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she played a maid in the acclaimed ITV program.
