The Renowned Actress Pauline Collins, Lead Actress of Shirley Valentine, Dies at Eighty-Five Years Old
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 relatives.
Collins will be best remembered for her depiction of unhappy homemaker Shirley in the director's award-winning film, adapted from the acclaimed theatrical production by playwright Willy Russell.
Her critically acclaimed performance won her the Golden Globe Award for outstanding actress as well as a BAFTA award.
'Witty Presence'
Her relatives said in a statement: "Pauline was so many things to countless individuals, portraying diverse characters in her career. A bright, sparky, witty presence on stage and screen. Her distinguished work 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 magic was contained in each one of them."
They added she was their "devoted mother, our beloved grandmother and great-grandma", and actor John Alderton's "life-long love"
"Warm, funny, generous, thoughtful, wise, she was constantly supportive," they expressed, appreciating her caregivers, who cared for her with "respect, empathy, and above all affection"
"She could not have had 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 reflect on life in her absence"
New York Theater
She initially performed the title role of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theater in the UK capital in 1988. She won that year's Olivier Award for best actress.
A year later she reprised the role on the New York stage, where she picked up numerous prizes including a esteemed Tony Award.
The film of the same name was launched shortly after.
Additional movie roles included the 1991 film City of Joy with actor Patrick Swayze, filmed in Calcutta, which gained her international fame globally.
Born in Exmouth in 1940, Collins was raised near the city of Liverpool and began her professional life as a teacher.
Her passion for theater inspired her to pursue acting on a side basis, and in 1957 she appeared briefly as a nurse in the TV series 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 Theater.
After a number of stage roles, she employed her regional dialect 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 a family of three, their sons and daughter.
Alderton and Collins starred together in a variety of screen projects, such as the series Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she portrayed a servant in ITV's popular series.
