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Pauline Collins, Lead Actress of Shirley Valentine, Dies at Eighty-Five Years Old
Pauline Collins, best known for her performance in the film Shirley Valentine, has passed away at the eighty-five years old.
Her passing was peaceful in her London residence, surrounded by her family after battling Parkinson's for a number of years, according to her relatives.
Collins will be best remembered for her depiction of disgruntled housewife Shirley in the director's award-winning film, adapted from the acclaimed stage play by Willy Russell.
Her critically acclaimed performance also earned her the Golden Globe Award for best actress as well as a BAFTA award.
'Charming and Witty'
Her relatives said in a statement: "Pauline was so many things to countless individuals, playing a variety of roles in her career. A bright, sparky, witty presence on stage and screen. 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 role that she made all her own. We were familiar with all those parts of her because her charm was embedded in each one of them."
They added she was their "devoted mother, our wonderful grandma and great-grandma", and her husband John Alderton's "eternal partner"
"Kind, humorous, giving, considerate, intelligent, she was always there for us," they said, appreciating her carers, 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 peak of her career; radiant and energetic; and allow us privacy to reflect on life in her absence"
New York Theater
She initially performed the title role of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theatre in London in 1988. She won that year's Olivier Award for outstanding actress.
The following year 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 Patrick Swayze, shot in Kolkata, which brought her wider recognition globally.
A native of 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 nurse in the Emergency Ward 10.
She starred in the film Secrets of a Windmill Girl in 1966, portraying an imaginary performer in a London adult entertainment venue, the Windmill Theater.
After a number of stage roles, she used her Liverpool accent to land a role on The Liver Birds.
It was through acting that she met her husband John Alderton. They wed in 1969 and had three children, 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.
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