🔗 Share this article The Renowned Actress Pauline Collins, Lead Actress of the Film Shirley Valentine, Dies at 85 Pauline Collins, widely recognized for her performance in the film Shirley Valentine, has passed away at the eighty-five years old. Her passing was peaceful in her London care home, in the company of her loved ones after battling Parkinson's disease for a number of years, as stated by her relatives. Her legacy will be defined for her depiction of unhappy homemaker Shirley in Lewis Gilbert's award-winning motion picture, adapted from the celebrated theatrical production by Willy Russell. Her critically acclaimed performance won her the Golden Globe for outstanding actress along with a BAFTA award. 'Witty Presence' She appeared with her spouse John Alderton in Upstairs Downstairs, appearing from 1971 to 1973 Collins' family released a statement saying: "She was a multifaceted person to so many people, playing a variety of roles in her career. A bright, sparky, witty presence on stage and screen. Her distinguished work 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 parts of her because her magic was contained 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" "Warm, funny, generous, thoughtful, wise, she was always there for us," they expressed, thanking her carers, who looked after her with "dignity, compassion, and most of all love" "She experienced a calmer departure. We hope you will remember her at the height of her powers; so joyful and full of energy; and allow us privacy to reflect on life in her absence" Stage Success 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. The following year 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 released later that year. Additional movie roles included the 1991 film City of Joy with Patrick Swayze, shot in Kolkata, which gained her international fame worldwide. A native of Exmouth in 1940, she grew up near the city of Liverpool and began her professional life as a teacher. Her passion for theater inspired her to pursue 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 striptease nightclub, the Windmill Theater. After a number of stage roles, she employed her regional dialect to secure a part on The Liver Birds. Her acting career that she encountered her spouse John Alderton. They wed in 1969 and had a family of three, Nicholas, Kate, and Richard. The couple performed together in a number of television and film roles, such as the series Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she played a maid in ITV's popular series.