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 care home, surrounded by her family after battling Parkinson's for a number of years, as stated by her family.
Her legacy will be defined for her portrayal of unhappy homemaker Shirley in the director's award-winning film, based on the celebrated theatrical production by Willy Russell.
Her critically acclaimed performance won her the Golden Globe Award for best actress along with a BAFTA award.
'Witty Presence'
Collins' family released a statement saying: "She was a multifaceted person to so many people, portraying diverse characters in her life. A bright, sparky, witty presence on theater and film. Her illustrious career saw her play politicians, mothers and queens."
"Her memory will endure as the legendary, determined, lively, and insightful Shirley Valentine - a role that she made all her own. We knew all those parts of her because her magic was contained in each one of them."
They added she was their "loving mum, our beloved grandmother and great-grandmother", and actor John Alderton's "eternal partner"
"Kind, humorous, giving, considerate, intelligent, she was constantly supportive," they said, thanking her caregivers, who looked after her with "respect, empathy, and above all affection"
"She experienced a more peaceful goodbye. We hope you will remember 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 lead part 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 returned to the character on the New York stage, where she picked up numerous prizes including a prestigious Tony award.
The movie adaptation was released later that year.
Her other films included 1991's City of Joy with actor Patrick Swayze, filmed in Calcutta, 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 passion for theater led her to take up acting on a part-time basis, and in 1957 she had a cameo role as a nurse 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 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 wed in 1969 and had a family of three, their sons and daughter.
The couple performed together in a variety of screen projects, such as Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she played a maid in the acclaimed ITV program.
