đź”— Share this article Pauline Collins, Star of Shirley Valentine, Dies at 85 Pauline Collins, best known for her performance in the movie Shirley Valentine, has died at the eighty-five years old. 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 family. Her legacy will be defined for her portrayal of disgruntled housewife Shirley in the director's award-winning film, adapted from the acclaimed theatrical production by playwright Willy Russell. Her critically acclaimed performance won her the Golden Globe Award for outstanding actress as well as a Bafta. 'Sparkling Personality' She appeared with her husband John Alderton in Upstairs Downstairs, appearing from 1971 to 1973 Collins' family said in a statement: "Pauline was so many things to countless individuals, portraying diverse characters in her career. An intelligent, lively, and humorous figure on theater and film. 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 magic was contained in every single role." They added she was their "loving mum, our beloved grandmother and great-grandma", and her husband John Alderton's "eternal partner" "Warm, funny, generous, thoughtful, wise, she was constantly supportive," they expressed, thanking her caregivers, who looked after her with "dignity, compassion, and most of all love" "She experienced a calmer departure. We ask that you recall her at the peak of her career; radiant and energetic; and allow us privacy to contemplate a life without her" New York Theater Collins first played the lead part of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theatre in the UK capital in 1988. She received that year's Olivier award for outstanding actress. A year later she returned to the character on Broadway, New York, where she picked up numerous prizes including a prestigious Tony award. The movie adaptation was launched shortly after. Her other films included the 1991 film City of Joy with Patrick Swayze, filmed in Calcutta, which brought her wider recognition globally. A native of Exmouth in 1940, she grew up near the city of Liverpool and began her professional life as a teacher. Her love of the stage inspired her to pursue acting on a part-time 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 employed her regional dialect to land a role on The Liver Birds. Her acting career that she encountered her spouse John Alderton. They wed in 1969 and had a family of three, their sons and daughter. Alderton and Collins starred together 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.