Pauline Collins, Star of Shirley Valentine, Dies at 85
The celebrated actress Pauline Collins, widely recognized for her performance in the film Shirley Valentine, has passed away at the eighty-five years old.
She died peacefully in her London care home, surrounded by her loved ones after living with Parkinson's for several years, as stated by her relatives.
Collins will be best remembered for her depiction of unhappy homemaker Shirley in the director's acclaimed motion picture, adapted from the celebrated stage play by Willy Russell.
Her praised acting also earned her the Golden Globe for outstanding actress as well as a BAFTA award.
'Sparkling Personality'
Collins' family said in a statement: "She was a multifaceted person to countless individuals, playing a variety of roles in her career. A bright, sparky, witty presence on theater and film. Her illustrious career saw her portray leaders, parents, and royalty."
"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 parts of her because her magic was contained in each one of them."
The statement continued she was their "loving mum, our beloved grandmother and great-grandma", and actor John Alderton's "eternal partner"
"Warm, funny, generous, thoughtful, wise, she was always there for us," they said, appreciating her carers, who looked after her with "dignity, compassion, and most of all love"
"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 allow us privacy to contemplate a life without her"
Stage Success
She initially performed the lead part of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theatre in the UK capital in 1988. She received that year's Olivier award for outstanding actress.
A year later she returned to the character on the New York stage, where she earned several awards including a esteemed Tony Award.
The movie adaptation was released later that year.
Her other films included the 1991 film City of Joy with actor Patrick Swayze, filmed in Calcutta, which gained her international fame globally.
Born in Exmouth in 1940, Collins was raised near Liverpool and started out her career as a educator.
Her passion for theater inspired her to pursue acting on a side basis, and in 1957 she had a cameo role as a medical attendant in the TV series 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 Theater.
After a number of stage roles, she employed her regional dialect to land a role on 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 alongside each other in a variety of screen projects, such as the series Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she portrayed a servant in the acclaimed ITV program.
