🔗 Share this article 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 performance in the film Shirley Valentine, has died at the eighty-five years old. Her passing was peaceful in her London residence, surrounded by her family after living with Parkinson's for several years, according to her relatives. Her legacy will be defined for her depiction of unhappy homemaker Shirley in Lewis Gilbert's acclaimed film, based on the acclaimed stage play by playwright Willy Russell. Her praised acting won her the Golden Globe for best actress along with a BAFTA award. 'Charming and Witty' She appeared with her husband John Alderton in Upstairs Downstairs, featured between 1971 to 1973 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 theater and film. Her distinguished work saw her portray leaders, parents, and royalty." "She will always be remembered as the iconic, strong-willed, vivacious and wise Shirley Valentine - a role that she made all her own. We knew all those aspects of her personality because her charm was embedded in every single role." The statement continued she was their "devoted mother, our beloved grandmother and great-grandma", and actor John Alderton's "eternal partner" "Kind, humorous, giving, considerate, intelligent, she was constantly supportive," they said, appreciating her caregivers, who looked after her with "respect, empathy, and above all affection" "She could not have had a more peaceful goodbye. We ask that you recall her at the height of her powers; so joyful and full of energy; and give us the space and privacy to contemplate a life without her" New York Theater Collins first played the lead part of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theater in the UK capital in 1988. She received 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 released later that year. Her other films included the 1991 film City of Joy with actor Patrick Swayze, shot in Kolkata, which brought her wider recognition globally. Born in Exmouth in 1940, Collins was raised near Liverpool and started out her career as a educator. 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, portraying an imaginary performer in a London adult entertainment venue, the Windmill Theatre. Following several theater parts, she used her Liverpool accent to secure a part on The Liver Birds. It was through acting that she met her husband John Alderton. They wed in 1969 and had a family of three, Nicholas, Kate, and Richard. Alderton and Collins starred alongside each other in a variety of screen projects, such as Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she portrayed a servant in the acclaimed ITV program.