The Renowned Actress Pauline Collins, Lead Actress of Shirley Valentine, Dies at 85
The celebrated actress Pauline Collins, best known for her performance 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 disease for several years, according to her family.
Her legacy will be defined for her portrayal of unhappy homemaker Shirley in the director's award-winning film, based on the celebrated theatrical production by Willy Russell.
Her critically acclaimed performance won her the Golden Globe for outstanding actress along with a Bafta.
'Witty Presence'
Collins' family said in a statement: "She was a multifaceted person to so many people, playing a variety of roles in her career. A bright, sparky, witty presence on stage and screen. 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 part she completely owned. 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"
"Warm, funny, generous, thoughtful, wise, she was always there for us," they expressed, thanking her carers, who cared for 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 allow us privacy to reflect on life in her absence"
Broadway Role
She initially performed the title role of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theater in London in 1988. She received that year's Olivier Award for outstanding actress.
The following year she reprised the role on Broadway, New York, where she earned several awards including a esteemed Tony Award.
The film of the same name was launched shortly after.
Additional movie roles included the 1991 film City of Joy with actor Patrick Swayze, shot in Kolkata, which gained her international fame worldwide.
A native of Exmouth in 1940, she grew up near Liverpool and began her professional life as a teacher.
Her passion for theater led her to take up acting on a part-time basis, and in 1957 she had a cameo role as a nurse in the Emergency Ward 10.
She starred in the film Secrets of a Windmill Girl in 1966, portraying an imaginary performer 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.
Her acting career that she met her husband John Alderton. They wed in 1969 and had a family of three, their sons and daughter.
Alderton and Collins starred alongside each other in a number of television and film roles, such as Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she portrayed a servant in the acclaimed ITV program.
