The Renowned Actress Pauline Collins, Lead Actress of Shirley Valentine, Passes Away at Eighty-Five Years Old
The celebrated actress Pauline Collins, best known for her performance in the film Shirley Valentine, has died at the eighty-five years old.
Her passing was peaceful in her London care home, surrounded by her family after living with Parkinson's for a number of years, as stated by her family.
Collins will be best remembered for her depiction of disgruntled housewife Shirley in the director's award-winning film, adapted from the acclaimed theatrical production by Willy Russell.
Her critically acclaimed performance won her the Golden Globe Award for outstanding actress along with a Bafta.
'Witty Presence'
Collins' family said in a statement: "Pauline was so many things to so many people, portraying diverse characters in her life. A bright, sparky, witty presence on theater and film. Her illustrious career 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 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 beloved grandmother and great-grandma", and her husband John Alderton's "eternal partner"
"Warm, funny, generous, thoughtful, wise, she was always there for us," they expressed, thanking her carers, who looked after her with "dignity, compassion, and most of all love"
"She experienced a calmer departure. We hope you will remember her at the peak of her career; so joyful and full of energy; and give us the space and privacy to reflect on life in her absence"
Stage Success
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 the New York stage, where she picked up numerous prizes including a esteemed Tony Award.
The movie adaptation was launched shortly after.
Additional movie roles included 1991's City of Joy with actor Patrick Swayze, filmed in Calcutta, which gained her international fame worldwide.
Born in Exmouth in 1940, Collins was raised near Liverpool and started out her career as a teacher.
Her passion for theater led her to take up acting on a side basis, and in 1957 she appeared briefly as a medical attendant in the 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.
Following several theater parts, she employed her regional dialect to secure a part on the show The Liver Birds.
Her acting career that she encountered her spouse John Alderton. They wed in 1969 and had three children, their sons and daughter.
The couple performed alongside each other in a variety of screen projects, such as Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she played a maid in ITV's popular series.
