The Renowned Actress Pauline Collins, Lead Actress of Shirley Valentine, Passes Away at 85
The celebrated actress Pauline Collins, widely recognized for her performance in the movie Shirley Valentine, has died at the eighty-five years old.
She died peacefully in her London residence, surrounded by her loved ones after living with Parkinson's disease for several years, as stated by her family.
Collins will be best remembered for her depiction of unhappy homemaker Shirley in Lewis Gilbert's award-winning film, adapted from the celebrated theatrical production by Willy Russell.
Her praised acting also earned her the Golden Globe for best actress along with a Bafta.
'Witty Presence'
Collins' family released a statement saying: "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 distinguished work saw her portray leaders, parents, and royalty."
"She will always be remembered as the legendary, determined, lively, and insightful 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."
They added she was their "devoted mother, our wonderful grandma and great-grandma", and her husband John Alderton's "eternal partner"
"Warm, funny, generous, thoughtful, wise, she was constantly supportive," they expressed, thanking her carers, who looked after her with "dignity, compassion, and most of all love"
"She could not have had a calmer departure. We ask that you recall her at the height of her powers; radiant and energetic; and allow us privacy to contemplate a life without her"
New York Theater
Collins first played the lead part of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theatre in the UK capital in 1988. She won 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 released later that year.
Additional movie roles included the 1991 film 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 the city of 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 appeared briefly as a medical attendant in the 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 Theatre.
After a number of stage roles, she used her Liverpool accent to land a role on the show The Liver Birds.
It was through acting that she encountered her spouse John Alderton. They wed in 1969 and had a family of three, their sons and daughter.
The couple performed together in a variety of screen projects, such as the series Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she played a maid in ITV's popular series.
