The Renowned Actress Pauline Collins, Lead Actress of the Film Shirley Valentine, Dies at 85
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 battling Parkinson's 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 motion picture, adapted from the acclaimed theatrical production by playwright Willy Russell.
Her critically acclaimed performance won her the Golden Globe Award for outstanding actress along with a BAFTA award.
'Charming and Witty'
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 theater and film. Her illustrious career saw her portray leaders, parents, and royalty."
"Her memory will endure as the iconic, strong-willed, vivacious and wise Shirley Valentine - a role that she made all her own. We were familiar with all those parts of her because her magic was contained in each one of them."
They added she was their "devoted mother, 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 "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 allow us privacy to reflect on life in her absence"
New York Theater
She initially performed the title role of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theatre in London in 1988. She received that year's Olivier Award for best actress.
The following year she returned to the character on the New York stage, where she earned several awards including a esteemed Tony Award.
The movie adaptation was launched shortly after.
Her other films included 1991's City of Joy with actor Patrick Swayze, shot in Kolkata, which gained her international fame globally.
A native of Exmouth in 1940, she grew up near 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 had a cameo role as a nurse in the Emergency Ward 10.
She starred in the film Secrets of a Windmill Girl in 1966, portraying an imaginary performer in a London adult entertainment venue, the Windmill Theatre.
After a number of stage roles, she used her Liverpool accent to secure a part on The Liver Birds.
It was through acting that she met her husband John Alderton. They wed in 1969 and had a family of three, Nicholas, Kate, and Richard.
Alderton and Collins starred alongside each other in a variety of screen projects, such as the series Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she played a maid in ITV's popular series.
