The Renowned Actress Pauline Collins, Lead Actress of the Film Shirley Valentine, Passes Away at 85
The celebrated actress Pauline Collins, best known for her performance in the movie Shirley Valentine, has died at the eighty-five years old.
Her passing was peaceful in her London residence, surrounded by her family after battling Parkinson's for a number of years, as stated by her family.
Her legacy will be defined for her portrayal of disgruntled housewife Shirley in Lewis Gilbert's award-winning film, based on the celebrated stage play by playwright Willy Russell.
Her praised acting won her the Golden Globe Award for outstanding actress as well as a Bafta.
'Sparkling Personality'
Collins' family said in a statement: "Pauline was so many things to countless individuals, playing a variety of roles in her life. An intelligent, lively, and humorous figure on theater and film. Her distinguished work saw her portray leaders, parents, and royalty."
"She will always be remembered as the legendary, determined, lively, and insightful Shirley Valentine - a role that she made all her own. We knew all those aspects of her personality because her magic was contained in every single role."
The statement continued she was their "loving mum, our wonderful grandma and great-grandma", and her husband John Alderton's "eternal partner"
"Warm, funny, generous, thoughtful, wise, she was always there for us," they expressed, appreciating her caregivers, who looked after her with "dignity, compassion, and most of all love"
"She could not have had a calmer departure. We ask that you recall her at the peak of her career; so joyful and full of energy; and allow us privacy to contemplate a life without her"
Stage Success
She initially performed the title role of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theatre in London in 1988. She won that year's Olivier Award for best actress.
The following year she reprised the role on the New York stage, where she earned several awards including a prestigious 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, filmed in Calcutta, which brought her wider recognition worldwide.
Born in Exmouth in 1940, Collins was raised near the city of Liverpool and started out her career as a educator.
Her love of the stage inspired her to pursue acting on a part-time basis, and in 1957 she had a cameo role as a medical attendant in the TV series Emergency Ward 10.
She featured in the film Secrets of a Windmill Girl in 1966, playing a fictional dancer in a London adult entertainment venue, the Windmill Theater.
After a number of stage roles, she employed her regional dialect to land a role on the show The Liver Birds.
It was through acting that she encountered her spouse John Alderton. They married in 1969 and had three children, 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 ITV's popular series.
