The Renowned Actress Pauline Collins, Lead Actress of the Film Shirley Valentine, Dies at 85
Pauline Collins, best known for her performance in the movie Shirley Valentine, has died at the age of 85.
Her passing was peaceful in her London care home, surrounded by her family after battling Parkinson's for several years, according to her relatives.
Her legacy will be defined for her portrayal of disgruntled housewife Shirley in the director's acclaimed film, adapted from the acclaimed theatrical production by Willy Russell.
Her critically acclaimed performance also earned her the Golden Globe for best actress as well as a BAFTA award.
'Witty Presence'
Collins' family said in a statement: "She was a multifaceted person to so many people, portraying diverse characters in her life. A bright, sparky, witty presence on theater and film. Her illustrious career saw her portray leaders, parents, and royalty."
"Her memory will endure as the iconic, strong-willed, vivacious and wise Shirley Valentine - a role that she made all her own. We were familiar with all those aspects of her personality because her magic was contained in each one of them."
They added she was their "loving mum, our beloved grandmother and great-grandmother", and her husband John Alderton's "eternal partner"
"Warm, funny, generous, thoughtful, wise, she was constantly supportive," they expressed, thanking her carers, who cared for her with "dignity, compassion, and most of all love"
"She could not have had a more peaceful goodbye. We hope you will remember her at the peak of her career; radiant and energetic; and allow us privacy to contemplate a life without her"
New York Theater
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 outstanding actress.
The following year she returned to the character 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, filmed in Calcutta, which gained her international fame 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 TV series Emergency Ward 10.
She starred in the film Secrets of a Windmill Girl in 1966, playing a fictional dancer in a London striptease nightclub, the Windmill Theatre.
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 married in 1969 and had a family of three, Nicholas, Kate, and Richard.
The couple performed alongside each other in a variety of screen projects, such as Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she played a maid in the acclaimed ITV program.
