🔗 Share this article Pauline Collins, Lead Actress of Shirley Valentine, Dies at the Age of 85 The celebrated actress Pauline Collins, widely recognized for her role in the film Shirley Valentine, has passed away at the eighty-five years old. Her passing was peaceful in her London residence, surrounded by her family after living with Parkinson's disease for several years, according to her relatives. Her legacy will be defined for her depiction of unhappy homemaker Shirley in Lewis Gilbert's award-winning motion picture, based on the celebrated theatrical production by playwright Willy Russell. Her praised acting also earned her the Golden Globe Award for best actress as well as a BAFTA award. 'Charming and Witty' She appeared with her spouse John Alderton in Upstairs Downstairs, appearing from 1971 to 1973 Her relatives released a statement saying: "She was a multifaceted person to so many people, portraying diverse characters in her career. A bright, sparky, witty presence on theater and film. Her illustrious career saw her play politicians, mothers and queens." "She will always be remembered 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 every single role." The statement continued she was their "devoted mother, our wonderful grandma and great-grandma", and her husband John Alderton's "eternal partner" "Kind, humorous, giving, considerate, intelligent, she was constantly supportive," they said, appreciating her carers, who looked after her with "dignity, compassion, and most of all love" "She experienced 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" Stage Success She initially performed the title role of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theater in the UK capital in 1988. She won that year's Olivier award for best actress. The following year she reprised the role on Broadway, New York, where she earned several awards including a prestigious Tony award. The film of the same name was launched shortly after. Her other films included 1991's 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 started out her career as a teacher. Her passion for theater inspired her to pursue acting on a part-time basis, and in 1957 she appeared briefly as a nurse in the Emergency Ward 10. She featured in the film Secrets of a Windmill Girl in 1966, playing a fictional dancer in a London striptease nightclub, the Windmill Theatre. After a number of stage roles, she used her Liverpool accent to land a role on The Liver Birds. It was through acting that she met her husband John Alderton. They married in 1969 and had three children, Nicholas, Kate, and Richard. Alderton and Collins starred together 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.