Pauline Collins, Oscar-Nommed Star of ‘Shirley Valentine,’ Dies at 85

Pauline Collins, the British actress known for her role in “Shirley Valentine,” died on Thursday in London. She was 85.

The BBC reported that Collins died peacefully in a care home surrounded by her family. Collins had Parkinson’s disease for several years. 

“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,” said Collins’ family in a statement to the BBC. “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.”

Born in Exmouth, Devon, Collins was educated at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. Before she started her career as an actress, she began her professional work as a teacher. In 1962, Collins made her West End debut in “Passion Flower Hotel” and got her first role in “Secrets of a Windmill Girl” in 1966.

In 1967, Collins appeared as Samantha Briggs in Doctor Who’s “The Faceless Ones,” starring alongside Patrick Troughton and Frazer Hines. Later in the ’70s, Collins played the role of Sarah in “Upstairs, Downstairs,” where she appeared regularly throughout the series.

In 1988, Collins starred in the one-woman play titled “Shirley Valentine,” then reprised her role on Broadway and in the film version in 1989. Playing a bored housewife who comes alive when she meets a man in Greece, Collins was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical. 

After her role in “Shirley Valentine,” Collins starred in ITV’s “Forever Green,” created and written by Terence Brady and Charlotte Bingham.

In 2001, Collins was appointed as an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2001 Birthday Honours for services to drama. 

Collins is survived by her husband John Alderton, her three children, Nicholas, Kate, and Richard, and her family.