Pauline Collins in Shirley Valentine / Paramount Pictures
Actress Pauline Collins has died at the age of 85, her family have announced.
The star had a string of credits on the small and silver screens, including Upstairs, Downstairs, The Liver Birds and two separate Doctor Who serials (‘The Faceless Ones’ in 1967 and ‘Tooth and Claw’ in 2006).
Collins’s most high-profile part was the title role in Shirley Valentine, first in the 1988 stage play and then the 1989 film adaptation, winning an Olivier, a Tony and a BAFTA as well as an Oscar nomination.
Her family said in a statement: “Pauline was so many things to so many people, playing a variety of roles in her life. 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 role that she made all her own. We were familiar with all those parts of her because her magic was contained in each one of them.
“More than anything, though, she was our loving mum, our wonderful grandma and great-grandma. Warm, funny, generous, thoughtful, wise, she was always there for us. And she was John (Alderton)’s life-long love. A partner, work collaborator, and wife of 56 years.
“We particularly want to thank her carers: angels who looked after her with dignity, compassion, and most of all love. She could not have had a more peaceful goodbye. We hope you will remember her at the height of her powers; so joyful and full of energy; and give us the space and privacy to contemplate a life without her.”
Collins died at her London care home having battled Parkinson’s Disease for the last few years.
