The Renowned Actress Pauline Collins, Lead Actress of Shirley Valentine, Passes Away at 85
Pauline Collins, best known for her role in the film 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 living with Parkinson's for several years, as stated by her family.
Her legacy will be defined for her portrayal of unhappy homemaker Shirley in the director's award-winning motion picture, adapted from the celebrated theatrical production by Willy Russell.
Her praised acting also earned her the Golden Globe Award for outstanding actress along with a BAFTA award.
'Sparkling Personality'
Collins' family released a statement saying: "She was a multifaceted person to so many people, portraying diverse characters in her life. 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 part she completely owned. We were familiar with all those parts of her because her charm was embedded in every single role."
They added she was their "loving mum, our beloved grandmother and great-grandma", and her husband John Alderton's "life-long love"
"Warm, funny, generous, thoughtful, wise, she was constantly supportive," they expressed, thanking her caregivers, who looked after 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; so joyful and full of energy; and give us the space and privacy to reflect on life in her absence"
Stage Success
She initially performed the lead part of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theatre in London in 1988. She won that year's Olivier Award for best actress.
A year later she reprised the role on the New York stage, where she earned several awards including a prestigious Tony award.
The movie adaptation was released later that year.
Additional movie roles included 1991's City of Joy with actor Patrick Swayze, shot in Kolkata, which gained her international fame worldwide.
Born in Exmouth in 1940, Collins was raised near 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 nurse 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.
Following several theater parts, she employed her regional dialect to land a role on The Liver Birds.
It was through acting that she encountered her spouse John Alderton. They married in 1969 and had a family of three, their sons and daughter.
Alderton and Collins starred together in a number of television and film roles, such as the series Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she portrayed a servant in the acclaimed ITV program.
