đź”— Share this article Pauline Collins, Star of Shirley Valentine, Passes Away at 85 The celebrated actress Pauline Collins, widely recognized for her role in the film Shirley Valentine, has died at the eighty-five years old. Her passing was peaceful in her London residence, in the company of her loved ones after living with Parkinson's disease for a number of years, as stated by her relatives. Collins will be best remembered for her portrayal of disgruntled housewife Shirley in the director's award-winning motion picture, adapted from the celebrated stage play by playwright Willy Russell. Her critically acclaimed performance also earned her the Golden Globe Award for outstanding actress as well as a BAFTA award. 'Witty Presence' Collins starred opposite her spouse John Alderton in the series Upstairs Downstairs, appearing from 1971 to 1973 Collins' family released a statement saying: "Pauline was so many things to so many people, portraying diverse characters in her life. An intelligent, lively, and humorous figure on stage and screen. Her illustrious career saw her portray leaders, parents, and royalty." "She will always be remembered as the legendary, determined, lively, and insightful 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." The statement continued she was their "loving mum, our beloved grandmother and great-grandma", and her husband John Alderton's "life-long love" "Warm, funny, generous, thoughtful, wise, she was constantly supportive," they expressed, thanking her caregivers, who looked after her with "respect, empathy, and above all affection" "She experienced a calmer departure. We hope you will remember her at the height of her powers; radiant and energetic; and allow us privacy to contemplate a life without her" Stage Success 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 outstanding actress. A year later she returned to the character on the New York stage, where she picked up numerous prizes including a prestigious Tony award. The movie adaptation was launched shortly after. Additional movie roles included the 1991 film City of Joy with actor Patrick Swayze, shot in Kolkata, which brought her wider recognition worldwide. Born in Exmouth in 1940, Collins was raised near the city of Liverpool and started out her career 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 Theatre. Following several theater parts, she employed her regional dialect to land a role on The Liver Birds. Her acting career that she encountered her spouse John Alderton. They married in 1969 and had a family of three, Nicholas, Kate, and Richard. Alderton and Collins starred together in a variety of screen projects, such as Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she played a maid in ITV's popular series.