The Renowned Actress Pauline Collins, Lead Actress of Shirley Valentine, Dies at Eighty-Five Years Old
The celebrated actress Pauline Collins, best known for her role in the film Shirley Valentine, has died at the eighty-five years old.
Her passing was peaceful in her London care home, surrounded by her loved ones after battling Parkinson's for a number of years, according to her relatives.
Her legacy will be defined for her depiction of disgruntled housewife Shirley in Lewis Gilbert's award-winning motion picture, based on the acclaimed stage play by playwright Willy Russell.
Her critically acclaimed performance won her the Golden Globe Award for outstanding actress along with a BAFTA award.
'Witty Presence'
Her relatives released a statement saying: "She was a multifaceted person to countless individuals, portraying diverse characters in her life. An intelligent, lively, and humorous figure on theater and film. Her distinguished work 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 aspects of her personality 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 actor John Alderton's "life-long love"
"Warm, funny, generous, thoughtful, wise, she was constantly supportive," they expressed, 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 height of her powers; radiant and energetic; and give us the space and privacy to contemplate a life without her"
Stage Success
Collins first played the lead part of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theater in the UK capital in 1988. She won that year's Olivier Award for outstanding actress.
A year later she reprised the role on the New York stage, where she earned several awards including a esteemed Tony Award.
The film of the same name was launched shortly after.
Her other films included 1991's City of Joy with actor Patrick Swayze, filmed in Calcutta, which brought her wider recognition worldwide.
Born in Exmouth in 1940, Collins was raised near Liverpool and started out her career as a educator.
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 medical attendant in the Emergency Ward 10.
She featured 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 used her Liverpool accent to secure a part on The Liver Birds.
Her acting career that she encountered her spouse John Alderton. They married in 1969 and had three children, Nicholas, Kate, and Richard.
Alderton and Collins starred alongside each other in a number of television and film roles, such as Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she played a maid in the acclaimed ITV program.
