🔗 Share this article Pauline Collins, Star of Shirley Valentine, Passes Away 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. She died peacefully 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 portrayal of disgruntled housewife Shirley in Lewis Gilbert's acclaimed motion picture, based on the celebrated theatrical production by Willy Russell. Her critically acclaimed performance won her the Golden Globe Award for best actress along with a BAFTA award. 'Witty Presence' She appeared with her spouse John Alderton in the series Upstairs Downstairs, appearing from 1971 to 1973 Collins' family released a statement saying: "She was a multifaceted person to countless individuals, portraying diverse characters in her life. A bright, sparky, witty presence on theater and film. Her distinguished work saw her portray leaders, parents, and royalty." "Her memory will endure as the iconic, strong-willed, vivacious and wise 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 wonderful grandma and great-grandmother", and her husband John Alderton's "eternal partner" "Warm, funny, generous, thoughtful, wise, she was constantly supportive," they expressed, appreciating 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 peak of her career; radiant and energetic; and allow us privacy to contemplate a life without her" Broadway Role She initially performed the title role of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theater in London in 1988. She received that year's Olivier award for best actress. A year later she reprised the role on the New York stage, where she earned several awards including a esteemed Tony Award. The movie adaptation was launched shortly after. Her other films included the 1991 film City of Joy with actor Patrick Swayze, filmed in Calcutta, which gained her international fame worldwide. Born in Exmouth in 1940, Collins was raised near Liverpool and started out her career as a teacher. Her passion for theater inspired her to pursue acting on a side basis, and in 1957 she appeared briefly as a medical attendant in the Emergency Ward 10. She starred in the film Secrets of a Windmill Girl in 1966, playing a fictional dancer in a London adult entertainment venue, the Windmill Theatre. After a number of stage roles, 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 a family of three, Nicholas, Kate, and Richard. The couple performed alongside each other in a number of television and film roles, such as Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she portrayed a servant in ITV's popular series.