Pauline Collins, Lead Actress of the Film Shirley Valentine, Dies at the Age of 85
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 residence, in the company of her loved ones 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 unhappy homemaker Shirley in Lewis Gilbert's acclaimed film, adapted from the celebrated stage play by playwright Willy Russell.
Her critically acclaimed performance also earned her the Golden Globe Award for best actress as well as a Bafta.
'Charming and Witty'
Her relatives said in a statement: "She was a multifaceted person to so many people, playing a variety of roles in her life. A bright, sparky, witty presence on stage and screen. Her illustrious career saw her play politicians, mothers and queens."
"She will always be remembered as the iconic, strong-willed, vivacious and wise 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 every single role."
They added she was their "devoted mother, our wonderful grandma and great-grandmother", and her husband John Alderton's "life-long love"
"Warm, funny, generous, thoughtful, wise, 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 calmer departure. We ask that you recall her at the height of her powers; so joyful and full of energy; and allow us privacy to contemplate a life without her"
New York Theater
She initially performed the lead part of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theatre in the UK capital in 1988. She received that year's Olivier Award for outstanding 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.
Additional movie roles included the 1991 film City of Joy with actor Patrick Swayze, filmed in Calcutta, which brought her wider recognition worldwide.
A native of Exmouth in 1940, Collins was raised near Liverpool and started out her career as a educator.
Her love of the stage inspired her to pursue acting on a part-time 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 used her Liverpool accent to land a role on The Liver Birds.
Her acting career that she met her husband John Alderton. They married in 1969 and had a family of three, Nicholas, Kate, and Richard.
The couple performed alongside each other in a number of television and film roles, such as Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she played a maid in ITV's popular series.
