Pauline Collins, Star of Shirley Valentine, Dies at Eighty-Five Years Old
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 residence, surrounded by her loved ones after battling Parkinson's for a number of years, according to her family.
Her legacy will be defined for her depiction of unhappy homemaker Shirley in Lewis Gilbert's award-winning film, adapted from the celebrated theatrical production by Willy Russell.
Her critically acclaimed performance won her the Golden Globe Award for outstanding actress along with a BAFTA award.
'Charming and Witty'
Collins' family released a statement saying: "Pauline was so many things 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 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 aspects of her personality because her magic was contained in each one of them."
The statement continued she was their "loving mum, our wonderful grandma and great-grandmother", and actor John Alderton's "eternal partner"
"Kind, humorous, giving, considerate, intelligent, she was always there for us," they expressed, thanking her caregivers, who cared for her with "respect, empathy, and above all affection"
"She could not have had a calmer departure. We hope you will remember her at the peak of her career; radiant and energetic; and give us the space and privacy to contemplate a life without her"
New York Theater
She initially performed the title role of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theatre in London in 1988. She won that year's Olivier Award for outstanding actress.
The following year she returned to the character on Broadway, New York, where she earned several awards including a esteemed Tony Award.
The movie adaptation was launched shortly after.
Additional movie roles included 1991's City of Joy with Patrick Swayze, filmed in Calcutta, which brought her wider recognition globally.
Born in Exmouth in 1940, Collins was raised near Liverpool and began her professional life as a educator.
Her love of the stage led her to take up 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 starred in the film Secrets of a Windmill Girl in 1966, playing a fictional dancer in a London adult entertainment venue, the Windmill Theater.
Following several theater parts, she used her Liverpool accent to secure a part on the show The Liver Birds.
Her acting career that she encountered her spouse John Alderton. They married in 1969 and had a family of three, Nicholas, Kate, and Richard.
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.
