The Renowned Actress Pauline Collins, Lead Actress of the Film Shirley Valentine, Passes Away at the Age of 85
The celebrated actress Pauline Collins, best known for her performance in the movie Shirley Valentine, has passed away at the eighty-five years old.
Her passing was peaceful in her London care home, surrounded by her family after battling Parkinson's for several years, according to her family.
Her legacy will be defined for her portrayal of disgruntled housewife Shirley in the director's acclaimed film, based on the celebrated stage play by playwright Willy Russell.
Her praised acting won her the Golden Globe for outstanding actress as well as a Bafta.
'Sparkling Personality'
Collins' family said in a statement: "She was a multifaceted person to countless individuals, playing a variety of roles in her life. 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 iconic, strong-willed, vivacious and wise Shirley Valentine - a role that she made all her own. We knew all those aspects of her personality because her magic was contained in each one of them."
The statement continued she was their "loving mum, our wonderful grandma and great-grandmother", and her husband John Alderton's "life-long love"
"Warm, funny, generous, thoughtful, wise, she was always there for us," they expressed, appreciating her caregivers, who looked after her with "respect, empathy, and above all affection"
"She experienced a calmer departure. We hope you will remember her at the height of her powers; radiant and energetic; and allow us privacy to contemplate a life without her"
Broadway Role
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 returned to the character on Broadway, New York, where she earned several awards including a esteemed Tony Award.
The film of the same name was released later that year.
Her other films included the 1991 film City of Joy with actor Patrick Swayze, shot in Kolkata, which brought her wider recognition globally.
Born in Exmouth in 1940, she grew up near Liverpool and began her professional life as a educator.
Her passion for theater led her to take up acting on a part-time basis, and in 1957 she appeared briefly as a medical attendant in the TV series 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 land a role on the show The Liver Birds.
Her acting career that she encountered her spouse John Alderton. They wed in 1969 and had a family of three, their sons and daughter.
The couple performed alongside each other in a variety of screen projects, such as the series Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she played a maid in the acclaimed ITV program.