🔗 Share this article The Renowned Actress Pauline Collins, Lead Actress of Shirley Valentine, Dies at the Age of 85 Pauline Collins, widely recognized for her performance in the film Shirley Valentine, has passed away at the age of 85. Her passing was peaceful in her London care home, in the company of her family after battling Parkinson's disease for several years, according to her relatives. Her legacy will be defined for her portrayal of unhappy homemaker Shirley in the director's acclaimed film, based on the celebrated theatrical production by playwright Willy Russell. Her critically acclaimed performance won her the Golden Globe Award for outstanding actress as well as a Bafta. 'Sparkling Personality' Collins starred opposite her husband John Alderton in Upstairs Downstairs, featured between 1971 to 1973 Collins' family released a statement saying: "Pauline was so many things to so many people, playing a variety of roles in her life. A bright, sparky, witty presence on stage and screen. Her distinguished work saw her portray leaders, parents, and royalty." "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 charm was embedded in every single role." They added she was their "loving mum, our wonderful grandma and great-grandma", and actor John Alderton's "eternal partner" "Kind, humorous, giving, considerate, intelligent, she was always there for us," they said, thanking her caregivers, who looked after her with "respect, empathy, and above all affection" "She could not have had a more peaceful goodbye. We hope you will remember her at the peak of her career; radiant and energetic; and give us the space and privacy to reflect on life in her absence" New York Theater She initially performed the title role of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theater in London in 1988. She won that year's Olivier award for best actress. A year later she returned to the character on the New York stage, where she earned several awards including a esteemed Tony Award. The movie adaptation was released later that year. Her other films included the 1991 film City of Joy with Patrick Swayze, filmed in Calcutta, which gained her international fame globally. A native of Exmouth in 1940, Collins was raised near Liverpool and started out her career as a educator. Her passion for theater led her to take up acting on a part-time 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, playing a fictional dancer in a London striptease nightclub, the Windmill Theater. After a number of stage roles, she employed her regional dialect to land a role on The Liver Birds. Her acting career that she encountered her spouse John Alderton. They wed in 1969 and had three children, their sons and daughter. The couple performed together in a variety of screen projects, such as Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she played a maid in ITV's popular series.