🔗 Share this article Pauline Collins, Lead Actress of the Film Shirley Valentine, Dies at the Age of 85 The celebrated actress Pauline Collins, best known for her performance in the film Shirley Valentine, has passed away 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 family. Her legacy will be defined for her portrayal of unhappy homemaker Shirley in Lewis Gilbert's acclaimed motion picture, adapted from the acclaimed stage play by Willy Russell. Her praised acting also earned her the Golden Globe Award for best actress as well as a Bafta. 'Charming and Witty' She appeared with her spouse John Alderton in Upstairs Downstairs, featured between 1971 to 1973 Her relatives said in a statement: "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 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 knew all those aspects of her personality because her magic was contained in every single role." The statement continued she was their "devoted mother, our wonderful grandma and great-grandmother", and actor John Alderton's "eternal partner" "Kind, humorous, giving, considerate, intelligent, she was always there for us," they expressed, thanking her carers, who cared for her with "respect, empathy, and above all affection" "She could not have had a more peaceful goodbye. We ask that you recall 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 title role of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theatre in London in 1988. She received that year's Olivier Award for outstanding actress. The following year she reprised the role on the New York stage, where she picked up numerous prizes including a esteemed Tony Award. The movie adaptation was launched shortly after. Additional movie roles included the 1991 film City of Joy with actor Patrick Swayze, filmed in Calcutta, which brought her wider recognition globally. Born in 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 medical attendant 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 Theater. Following several theater parts, she used her Liverpool accent to secure a part on The Liver Birds. Her acting career that she met her husband John Alderton. They married in 1969 and had a family of three, Nicholas, Kate, and Richard. The couple performed alongside each other in a variety of screen projects, such as the series Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she portrayed a servant in the acclaimed ITV program.