The Renowned Actress Pauline Collins, Lead Actress of the Film Shirley Valentine, Dies at 85
Pauline Collins, widely recognized for her performance in the film Shirley Valentine, has passed away at the age of 85.
She died peacefully in her London care home, in the company of her loved ones after battling Parkinson's for a number of years, according to her relatives.
Her legacy will be defined for her portrayal of disgruntled housewife Shirley in Lewis Gilbert's acclaimed motion picture, based on the acclaimed stage play by Willy Russell.
Her praised acting won her the Golden Globe Award for outstanding actress along with a BAFTA award.
'Sparkling Personality'
Her relatives said in a statement: "She was a multifaceted person to so many people, portraying diverse characters in her life. An intelligent, lively, and humorous figure on theater and film. Her distinguished work saw her play politicians, mothers and queens."
"She will always be remembered as the legendary, determined, lively, and insightful Shirley Valentine - a part she completely owned. We knew all those parts of her because her magic was contained in every single role."
They added she was their "devoted mother, our beloved grandmother and great-grandmother", and actor John Alderton's "life-long love"
"Kind, humorous, giving, considerate, intelligent, she was constantly supportive," they expressed, thanking her carers, who cared for her with "respect, empathy, and above all affection"
"She could not have had a calmer departure. We hope you will remember her at the height of her powers; so joyful and full of energy; and give us the space and privacy to contemplate a life without her"
New York Theater
Collins first played the lead part of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theater in the UK capital in 1988. She won that year's Olivier award for outstanding actress.
A year later she reprised the role 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 actor Patrick Swayze, filmed in Calcutta, which brought her wider recognition worldwide.
A native of Exmouth in 1940, Collins was raised near the city of Liverpool and started out her career as a teacher.
Her love of the stage led her to take up acting on a side basis, and in 1957 she appeared briefly as a nurse in the 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.
Following several theater parts, she employed her regional dialect to secure a part 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.
The couple performed alongside each other in a number of television and film roles, such as Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she portrayed a servant in the acclaimed ITV program.
