🔗 Share this article The Renowned Actress Pauline Collins, Lead Actress of the Film Shirley Valentine, Passes Away at the Age of 85 The celebrated actress Pauline Collins, best known for her role in the movie Shirley Valentine, has passed away at the age of 85. Her passing was peaceful in her London residence, surrounded by her loved ones after living with Parkinson's for several years, as stated by her relatives. Her legacy will be defined for her portrayal of unhappy homemaker Shirley in the director's award-winning motion picture, based on the celebrated theatrical production by Willy Russell. Her critically acclaimed performance also earned her the Golden Globe for best actress along with a Bafta. 'Sparkling Personality' She appeared with her husband John Alderton in the series Upstairs Downstairs, featured between 1971 to 1973 Collins' family said in a statement: "She was a multifaceted person to countless individuals, playing a variety of roles in her career. An intelligent, lively, and humorous figure on stage and screen. Her illustrious career 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 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 beloved grandmother and great-grandmother", 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 looked after her with "respect, empathy, and above all affection" "She experienced a calmer departure. We ask that you recall her at the height of her powers; radiant and energetic; and give us the space and privacy to reflect on life in her absence" Stage Success She initially performed the lead part of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theater in London in 1988. She won that year's Olivier Award for best actress. The following year she reprised the role on Broadway, New York, where she picked up numerous prizes including a prestigious Tony award. The movie adaptation was launched shortly after. Her other films included 1991's City of Joy with Patrick Swayze, shot in Kolkata, which brought her wider recognition globally. Born in Exmouth in 1940, Collins was raised near the city of Liverpool and began her professional life as a educator. Her passion for theater inspired her to pursue acting on a part-time basis, and in 1957 she appeared briefly as a nurse in the 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 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 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 played a maid in ITV's popular series.