The Renowned Actress Pauline Collins, Lead Actress of Shirley Valentine, Dies at 85
The celebrated actress Pauline Collins, widely recognized for her role in the movie Shirley Valentine, has died at the age of 85.
She died peacefully in her London residence, in the company of her family after living with Parkinson's disease for several years, according to her family.
Her legacy will be defined for her depiction of unhappy homemaker Shirley in the director's award-winning film, based on the celebrated theatrical production by Willy Russell.
Her praised acting won her the Golden Globe Award for outstanding actress as well as a BAFTA award.
'Sparkling Personality'
Her relatives said in a statement: "Pauline was so many things to so many people, portraying diverse characters in her life. An intelligent, lively, and humorous figure on stage and screen. Her illustrious career saw her portray leaders, parents, and royalty."
"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 aspects of her personality because her magic was contained in every single role."
They added she was their "loving mum, our beloved grandmother and great-grandmother", and her husband John Alderton's "life-long love"
"Warm, funny, generous, thoughtful, wise, she was constantly supportive," they expressed, thanking her carers, who cared for her with "respect, empathy, and above all affection"
"She experienced a more peaceful goodbye. We ask that you recall her at the peak of her career; radiant and energetic; and give us the space and privacy to contemplate a life without her"
Stage Success
Collins first played the lead part 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 reprised the role on Broadway, New York, where she picked up numerous prizes including a esteemed Tony Award.
The film of the same name 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, she grew up near Liverpool and started out her career as a educator.
Her passion for theater inspired her to pursue acting on a part-time basis, and in 1957 she appeared briefly as a medical attendant in the 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 Theater.
Following several theater parts, she employed her regional dialect to secure a part on the show The Liver Birds.
Her acting career that she met her husband John Alderton. They wed 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 the series Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she played a maid in the acclaimed ITV program.
