đź”— Share this article Pauline Collins, Lead Actress of the Film Shirley Valentine, Passes Away at Eighty-Five Years Old The celebrated actress Pauline Collins, best known for her performance in the film Shirley Valentine, has died at the age of 85. She died peacefully in her London residence, in the company of her loved ones after living with Parkinson's disease for several years, according to her family. Her legacy will be defined for her depiction of unhappy homemaker Shirley in the director's acclaimed motion picture, based on the celebrated theatrical production by Willy Russell. Her praised acting won her the Golden Globe Award for best actress as well as a Bafta. 'Charming and Witty' She appeared with her husband John Alderton in Upstairs Downstairs, appearing from 1971 to 1973 Collins' family said in a statement: "She was a multifaceted person to countless individuals, portraying diverse characters in her career. An intelligent, lively, and humorous figure 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 knew all those aspects of her personality because her magic was contained in every single role." 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 always there for us," they expressed, appreciating her caregivers, who looked after her with "dignity, compassion, and most of all love" "She experienced a calmer departure. We hope you will remember her at the height of her powers; radiant and energetic; and give us the space and privacy to reflect on life in her absence" Broadway Role Collins first played the lead part of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theatre in the UK capital in 1988. She received 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 prestigious 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 gained her international fame worldwide. A native of Exmouth in 1940, Collins was raised near the city of Liverpool and began her professional life as a teacher. Her passion for theater inspired her to pursue 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 starred in the film Secrets of a Windmill Girl in 1966, playing a fictional dancer in a London striptease nightclub, 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 met her husband John Alderton. They married in 1969 and had three children, their sons and daughter. Alderton and Collins starred together in a variety of screen projects, such as the series Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she played a maid in ITV's popular series.