🔗 Share this article

Pauline Collins, widely recognized for her performance in the movie Shirley Valentine, has passed away at the age of 85.

She died peacefully in her London care home, in the company of her family after living with Parkinson's disease for several years, as stated by her relatives.

Her legacy will be defined for her portrayal of unhappy homemaker Shirley in Lewis Gilbert's acclaimed motion picture, based on the celebrated theatrical production by Willy Russell.

Her critically acclaimed performance also earned her the Golden Globe Award for best actress as well as a Bafta.

'Sparkling Personality'

Collins' family released a statement saying: "She was a multifaceted person to countless individuals, playing a variety of roles in her life. A bright, sparky, witty presence on theater and film. Her distinguished work 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 knew all those parts of her because her magic was contained in each one of them."

The statement continued she was their "devoted mother, our wonderful grandma and great-grandma", and her husband John Alderton's "life-long love"

"Kind, humorous, giving, considerate, intelligent, she was constantly supportive," they said, thanking her carers, who looked after her with "respect, empathy, and above all affection"

"She experienced a more peaceful goodbye. We hope you will remember 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"

Stage Success

She initially performed the lead part 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 reprised the role 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 worldwide.

Born in 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 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 Theatre.

After a number of stage roles, she used her Liverpool accent to secure a part on The Liver Birds.

Her acting career that she met her husband John Alderton. They married in 1969 and had a family of three, their sons and daughter.

Alderton and Collins starred 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.