The celebrated actress Pauline Collins, widely recognized for her performance 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 loved ones after battling Parkinson's for a number of years, according to her relatives.
Her legacy will be defined for her depiction of disgruntled housewife Shirley in Lewis Gilbert's award-winning film, based on the celebrated stage play by Willy Russell.
Her praised acting won her the Golden Globe for best actress along with a BAFTA award.
'Sparkling Personality'
Collins' family released a statement saying: "She was a multifaceted person to so many people, playing a variety of roles in her life. An intelligent, lively, and humorous figure on theater and film. Her distinguished work saw her portray leaders, parents, and royalty."
"She will always be remembered as the legendary, determined, lively, and insightful Shirley Valentine - a role that she made all her own. We were familiar with all those aspects of her personality because her magic was contained in each one of them."
They added she was their "devoted mother, our beloved grandmother and great-grandmother", and actor John Alderton's "life-long love"
"Kind, humorous, giving, considerate, intelligent, she was always there for us," they expressed, thanking her carers, who looked after her with "respect, empathy, and above all affection"
"She could not have had a calmer departure. We hope you will remember her at the height of her powers; radiant and energetic; and allow us privacy to reflect on life in her absence"
Stage Success
She initially performed the lead part of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theater in the UK capital in 1988. She won that year's Olivier award for best actress.
The following year she returned to the character on Broadway, New York, where she earned several awards including a esteemed Tony Award.
The movie adaptation was released later that year.
Additional movie roles included the 1991 film City of Joy with Patrick Swayze, shot in Kolkata, which gained her international fame worldwide.
Born in Exmouth in 1940, she grew up near the city of Liverpool and began her professional life as a educator.
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 featured in the film Secrets of a Windmill Girl in 1966, portraying an imaginary performer in a London adult entertainment venue, the Windmill Theatre.
Following several theater parts, she used her Liverpool accent to secure a part on the show The Liver Birds.
Her acting career that she met her husband John Alderton. They married in 1969 and had a family of three, Nicholas, Kate, and Richard.
Alderton and Collins starred alongside each other in a variety of screen projects, such as Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she played a maid in the acclaimed ITV program.
