đź”— Share this article The Renowned Actress Pauline Collins, Star of the Film 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 age of 85. She died peacefully in her London care home, surrounded by her loved ones after battling Parkinson's for a number of years, according to her family. Her legacy will be defined for her depiction of unhappy homemaker Shirley in the director's award-winning motion picture, adapted from the celebrated stage play by playwright Willy Russell. Her praised acting won her the Golden Globe Award for best actress along with a Bafta. 'Sparkling Personality' She appeared with her husband John Alderton in the series Upstairs Downstairs, appearing from 1971 to 1973 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 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 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 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 cared for her with "respect, empathy, and above all affection" "She could not have had a more peaceful goodbye. We ask that you recall her at the height of her powers; so joyful and full of energy; and give us the space and privacy to reflect on life in her absence" Broadway Role Collins first played the title role of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theater in London in 1988. She won that year's Olivier Award for outstanding actress. The following year she reprised the role on Broadway, New York, where she picked up numerous prizes 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, filmed in Calcutta, which brought her wider recognition globally. Born in Exmouth in 1940, she grew up near Liverpool and began her professional life as a educator. Her passion for theater led her to take up acting on a side basis, and in 1957 she had a cameo role as a medical attendant in the TV series Emergency Ward 10. She featured in the film Secrets of a Windmill Girl in 1966, playing a fictional dancer in a London adult entertainment venue, the Windmill Theater. Following several theater parts, 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, their sons and daughter. The couple performed alongside each other in a variety of screen projects, such as Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she played a maid in the acclaimed ITV program.