The Renowned Actress Pauline Collins, Lead Actress of the Film Shirley Valentine, Dies at the Age of 85
The celebrated actress Pauline Collins, widely recognized for her role in the movie Shirley Valentine, has died at the age of 85.
Her passing was peaceful in her London residence, in the company of her loved ones after battling Parkinson's disease for a number of years, according to her family.
Collins will be best remembered for her portrayal of unhappy homemaker Shirley in Lewis Gilbert's award-winning motion picture, based on the celebrated theatrical production by Willy Russell.
Her critically acclaimed performance also earned her the Golden Globe Award for best actress as well as a BAFTA award.
'Charming and Witty'
Collins' family released a statement saying: "Pauline was so many things to so many people, playing a variety of roles in her life. An intelligent, lively, and humorous figure on stage and screen. Her illustrious career saw her portray leaders, parents, and royalty."
"She will always be remembered as the legendary, determined, lively, and insightful Shirley Valentine - a role that she made all her own. We knew all those aspects of her personality because her charm was embedded in every single role."
They added she was their "loving mum, our beloved grandmother and great-grandmother", and actor John Alderton's "life-long love"
"Warm, funny, generous, thoughtful, wise, she was constantly supportive," they said, thanking her carers, who cared for her with "respect, empathy, and above all affection"
"She experienced a calmer departure. We hope you will remember her at the height of her powers; radiant and energetic; and allow us privacy to reflect on life in her absence"
Broadway Role
She initially performed the lead part of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theater in London in 1988. She won that year's Olivier award for best actress.
The following year she reprised the role on Broadway, New York, where she earned several awards including a esteemed Tony Award.
The movie adaptation was released later that year.
Additional movie roles included the 1991 film City of Joy with actor Patrick Swayze, shot in Kolkata, which brought her wider recognition globally.
A native of Exmouth in 1940, she grew up near Liverpool and started out her career as a teacher.
Her love of the stage inspired her to pursue acting on a side basis, and in 1957 she had a cameo role as a nurse in the Emergency Ward 10.
She featured 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 used her Liverpool accent to land a role on The Liver Birds.
It was through acting that she met her husband John Alderton. They married in 1969 and had three children, Nicholas, Kate, and Richard.
The couple performed together in a number of television and film roles, such as the series Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she portrayed a servant in the acclaimed ITV program.
