🔗 Share this article The Renowned Actress Pauline Collins, Lead Actress of Shirley Valentine, Dies at 85 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 battling Parkinson's disease for a number of years, according to her family. Her legacy will be defined for her depiction of disgruntled housewife Shirley in the director's acclaimed film, based on the acclaimed stage play by playwright Willy Russell. Her critically acclaimed performance won her the Golden Globe Award for best actress as well as a Bafta. 'Sparkling Personality' Collins starred opposite her husband John Alderton in the series Upstairs Downstairs, appearing from 1971 to 1973 Collins' family said in a statement: "She was a multifaceted person to countless individuals, playing a variety of roles in her life. An intelligent, lively, and humorous figure on stage and screen. Her illustrious career saw her portray leaders, parents, and royalty." "Her memory will endure as the iconic, strong-willed, vivacious and wise Shirley Valentine - a role that she made all her own. We knew all those aspects of her personality because her magic was contained in each one of them." The statement continued she was their "loving mum, our wonderful grandma and great-grandmother", and her husband John Alderton's "eternal partner" "Kind, humorous, giving, considerate, intelligent, 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 ask that you recall her at the peak of her career; 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 Theater in the UK capital in 1988. She won that year's Olivier Award for best actress. A year later she reprised the role on the New York stage, where she earned several awards including a prestigious Tony award. The film of the same name was released later that year. Additional movie roles included 1991's City of Joy with actor Patrick Swayze, shot in Kolkata, which brought her wider recognition globally. Born in Exmouth in 1940, Collins was raised near the city of Liverpool and started out her career as a teacher. Her love of the stage led her to take up acting on a part-time basis, and in 1957 she had a cameo role as a nurse in the 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 Theater. After a number of stage roles, she used her Liverpool accent to secure a part on the show The Liver Birds. It was through acting that she encountered her spouse John Alderton. They wed 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 portrayed a servant in the acclaimed ITV program.