Shirley Valentine actress Pauline Collins has died “peacefully”, aged 85, surrounded by her family.
The actress who starred in the first series of sitcom The Liver Birds and became a household name in Upstairs Downstairs, had Parkinson’s disease for several years.
Her later role in the 1989 film Shirley Valentine, playing the lead character of the bored Liverpudlian housewife, earned her an Oscar nomination.
‘Iconic, strong-willed’
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.
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“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.”
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She married fellow actor John Alderton in 1969.
‘Nation’s sweetheart’
He described her as a “remarkable star”.
He said he worked with her more than any other actor in TV series, films and West End stage shows, and had “watched her genius at close quarters”.
He added: “What I saw was not only her brilliant range of diverse characters but her magic of bringing out the best in all of the people she worked with. She wanted everyone to be special and she did this by never saying ‘Look at me’.
“It’s no wonder that she was voted the nation’s sweetheart in the 1970s.
“She will always be remembered for Shirley Valentine, not only for her Oscar nomination or the film itself, but for clean-sweeping all seven awards when she portrayed her on Broadway in the stage play, in which she played every character herself.
“But her greatest performance was as my wife and mother to our beautiful children.”
Born in Exmouth in 1940, Collins was raised near Liverpool and began her career as a teacher.
But after taking up acting part-time, she landed her first television role as a nurse in the series Emergency Ward 10.
Collins also won great acclaim for her role in 1997 film Paradise Road, which tells the story of a group of women in a Japanese prisoner of war camp who defy their captors by founding an orchestra.
The film also starred Glenn Close, Cate Blanchett and Frances McDormand.
In 2001 Collins was made an OBE for her services to drama
