The Renowned Actress Pauline Collins, Lead Actress of the Film Shirley Valentine, Dies at the Age of 85
The celebrated actress Pauline Collins, widely recognized for her role in the movie Shirley Valentine, has passed away at the eighty-five years old.
Her passing was peaceful in her London care home, surrounded by her loved ones after living with Parkinson's disease for a number of years, according to her family.
Her legacy will be defined for her depiction of unhappy homemaker Shirley in the director's acclaimed film, adapted from the acclaimed stage play by playwright Willy Russell.
Her praised acting also earned 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 so many people, portraying diverse characters in her life. An intelligent, lively, and humorous figure on stage and screen. Her distinguished work saw her portray leaders, parents, and royalty."
"Her memory will endure as the legendary, determined, lively, and insightful Shirley Valentine - a part she completely owned. We were familiar with all those parts of her because her magic was contained in each one of them."
They added she was their "devoted mother, our beloved grandmother and great-grandma", and her husband John Alderton's "eternal partner"
"Kind, humorous, giving, considerate, intelligent, she was always there for us," they expressed, appreciating her caregivers, 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; so joyful and full of energy; and allow us privacy to contemplate a life without her"
New York Theater
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 outstanding actress.
A year later she returned to the character on Broadway, New York, where she picked up numerous prizes including a esteemed Tony Award.
The film of the same name was launched shortly after.
Her other films included the 1991 film City of Joy with actor Patrick Swayze, shot in Kolkata, which brought her wider recognition worldwide.
A native of Exmouth in 1940, she grew up near Liverpool and began her professional life 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 nurse in the TV series 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 Theatre.
Following several theater parts, she employed her regional dialect to secure a part on the show 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 number of television and film roles, such as the series Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she portrayed a servant in the acclaimed ITV program.
