🔗 Share this article Pauline Collins, Star of Shirley Valentine, Passes Away at the Age of 85 The celebrated actress Pauline Collins, widely recognized for her performance in the movie Shirley Valentine, has passed away at the age of 85. She died peacefully in her London care home, in the company of her family after living with Parkinson's disease for several years, according to her relatives. Her legacy will be defined for her depiction of disgruntled housewife Shirley in the director's acclaimed film, adapted from the celebrated stage play by Willy Russell. Her praised acting won her the Golden Globe for best actress along with a BAFTA award. 'Charming and Witty' She appeared with her spouse John Alderton in Upstairs Downstairs, featured between 1971 to 1973 Her relatives released a statement saying: "She was a multifaceted person to so many people, portraying diverse characters in her career. A bright, sparky, witty presence on stage and screen. Her illustrious career saw her play politicians, mothers and queens." "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 each one of them." The statement continued she was their "devoted mother, our wonderful grandma and great-grandmother", and her husband John Alderton's "eternal partner" "Kind, humorous, giving, considerate, intelligent, she was constantly supportive," they said, thanking her carers, who cared for her with "dignity, compassion, and most of all love" "She experienced a more peaceful goodbye. We ask that you recall her at the height of her powers; radiant and energetic; 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 Theatre in London in 1988. She won that year's Olivier award for best actress. The following year she reprised the role on the New York stage, where she picked up numerous prizes 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, filmed in Calcutta, which brought her wider recognition worldwide. A native of Exmouth in 1940, she grew up near the city of Liverpool and began her professional life as a educator. Her passion for theater inspired her to pursue acting on a side basis, and in 1957 she appeared briefly as a nurse 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 adult entertainment venue, the Windmill Theatre. After a number of stage roles, she employed her regional dialect to land a role on the show 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. The couple performed alongside each other in a number of television and film roles, such as the series Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she played a maid in ITV's popular series.