🔗 Share this article The Renowned Actress Pauline Collins, Star of the Film Shirley Valentine, Dies at the Age of 85 Pauline Collins, widely recognized for her performance in the film Shirley Valentine, has passed away at the eighty-five years old. She died peacefully in her London residence, in the company of her family after living with Parkinson's for a number of years, as stated by her relatives. Collins will be best remembered for her depiction of unhappy homemaker Shirley in the director's acclaimed film, adapted from the celebrated theatrical production by Willy Russell. Her critically acclaimed performance also earned her the Golden Globe Award for outstanding actress as well as a Bafta. 'Witty Presence' She appeared with her husband John Alderton in Upstairs Downstairs, appearing from 1971 to 1973 Collins' family released a statement saying: "Pauline was so many things to so many people, portraying diverse characters in her life. A bright, sparky, witty presence on stage and screen. Her illustrious career saw her play politicians, mothers and queens." "She will always be remembered 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 her husband John Alderton's "eternal partner" "Kind, humorous, giving, considerate, intelligent, she was always there for us," they said, thanking her carers, who cared for her with "dignity, compassion, and most of all love" "She experienced 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" New York Theater Collins first played the title role of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theatre in London in 1988. She received that year's Olivier Award for best actress. A year later she reprised the role on Broadway, New York, where she earned several awards including a prestigious 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 gained her international fame worldwide. A native of Exmouth in 1940, Collins was raised near the city of Liverpool and began her professional life as a teacher. Her passion for theater led her to take up acting on a side 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 striptease nightclub, the Windmill Theatre. After a number of stage roles, she employed her regional dialect to secure a part on The Liver Birds. It was through acting that she encountered her spouse John Alderton. They married in 1969 and had three children, their sons and daughter. Alderton and Collins starred 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.