🔗 Share this article The Renowned Actress Pauline Collins, Lead Actress of Shirley Valentine, Passes Away at the Age of 85 The celebrated actress Pauline Collins, best known for her role 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, according to her relatives. Her legacy will be defined for her depiction of disgruntled housewife Shirley in the director's award-winning motion picture, based on the acclaimed theatrical production by Willy Russell. Her critically acclaimed performance won her the Golden Globe Award for best actress as well as a BAFTA award. 'Witty Presence' She appeared with her spouse John Alderton in the series Upstairs Downstairs, featured between 1971 to 1973 Her relatives released a statement saying: "She was a multifaceted person to countless individuals, portraying diverse characters in her life. An intelligent, lively, and humorous figure 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 knew all those parts of her because her magic was contained in every single role." They added she was their "loving mum, our beloved grandmother 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 caregivers, who cared for her with "respect, empathy, and above all affection" "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 reflect on life in her absence" Broadway Role She initially performed the lead part of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theater in the UK capital in 1988. She won 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. Her other films included 1991's City of Joy with Patrick Swayze, shot in Kolkata, which gained her international fame globally. Born in Exmouth in 1940, she grew up 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 appeared briefly 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 Theater. After a number of stage roles, she used her Liverpool accent to secure a part on the show The Liver Birds. Her acting career 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 played a maid in ITV's popular series.