The Renowned Actress Pauline Collins, Lead Actress of the Film Shirley Valentine, Dies at 85
The celebrated actress Pauline Collins, best known for her performance in the film Shirley Valentine, has passed away at the age of 85.
She died peacefully in her London residence, in the company of her family after living with Parkinson's disease for several years, as stated by her relatives.
Collins will be best remembered for her portrayal of unhappy homemaker Shirley in Lewis Gilbert's acclaimed film, adapted from the acclaimed stage play by playwright Willy Russell.
Her critically acclaimed performance won her the Golden Globe for best actress along with a Bafta.
'Witty Presence'
Collins' family released a statement saying: "She was a multifaceted person to so many people, playing a variety of roles 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 role that she made all her own. We were familiar with all those parts of her because her charm was embedded in each one of them."
They added she was their "loving mum, our wonderful grandma and great-grandma", and her husband John Alderton's "eternal partner"
"Kind, humorous, giving, considerate, intelligent, she was constantly supportive," they expressed, appreciating her caregivers, who looked after her with "dignity, compassion, and most of all love"
"She could not have had a more peaceful goodbye. We ask that you recall her at the height of her powers; radiant and energetic; and allow us privacy to reflect on life in her absence"
Broadway Role
Collins first played the title role of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theatre in the UK capital in 1988. She won that year's Olivier Award for best actress.
A year later she returned to the character on Broadway, New York, where she picked up numerous prizes including a prestigious Tony award.
The movie adaptation was launched shortly after.
Her other films included the 1991 film City of Joy with Patrick Swayze, filmed in Calcutta, which gained her international fame worldwide.
Born in Exmouth in 1940, Collins was raised near the city of Liverpool and started out her career as a educator.
Her love of the stage led her to take up acting on a part-time basis, and in 1957 she had a cameo role as a nurse in the TV series Emergency Ward 10.
She featured in the film Secrets of a Windmill Girl in 1966, portraying an imaginary performer in a London adult entertainment venue, the Windmill Theatre.
After a number of stage roles, she used her Liverpool accent to secure a part on 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.
Alderton and Collins starred together in a variety of screen projects, such as Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she portrayed a servant in ITV's popular series.
