The Renowned Actress Pauline Collins, Lead Actress of 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 died at the eighty-five years old.
Her passing was peaceful in her London care home, surrounded by her loved ones after battling Parkinson's disease for several years, as stated by her family.
Her legacy will be defined for her portrayal of disgruntled housewife Shirley in the director's acclaimed film, based on the celebrated theatrical production by playwright Willy Russell.
Her praised acting also earned her the Golden Globe for best actress as well as 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 career. A bright, sparky, witty presence on stage and screen. Her illustrious career saw her play politicians, mothers and queens."
"Her memory will endure as the legendary, determined, lively, and insightful Shirley Valentine - a role that she made all her own. We were familiar with all those aspects of her personality because her charm was embedded in every single role."
The statement continued 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, appreciating her caregivers, who looked after her with "respect, empathy, and above all affection"
"She could not have had a more peaceful goodbye. We ask that you recall her at the peak of her career; so joyful and full of energy; and give us the space and privacy to contemplate a life without her"
New York Theater
Collins first played the title role of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theatre in the UK capital in 1988. She received that year's Olivier award for outstanding actress.
The following year she returned to the character on the New York stage, where she picked up numerous prizes including a esteemed Tony Award.
The movie adaptation was released later that year.
Her other films included the 1991 film City of Joy with Patrick Swayze, shot in Kolkata, which gained her international fame worldwide.
Born in Exmouth in 1940, she grew up near Liverpool and began her professional life as a teacher.
Her passion for theater inspired her to pursue acting on a side 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, playing a fictional dancer in a London striptease nightclub, the Windmill Theater.
After a number of stage roles, she used her Liverpool accent to land a role on the show The Liver Birds.
Her acting career that she met her husband John Alderton. They wed in 1969 and had three children, their sons and daughter.
The couple performed together in a variety of screen projects, such as Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she portrayed a servant in ITV's popular series.
