Pauline Collins, celebrated for her iconic role in the 1989 film Shirley Valentine, has died at the age of 85. The British actress, whose career spanned decades across stage and screen, passed away on July 22, 2024.
Collins’ death marks the loss of a beloved performer who resonated with audiences through her portrayals of relatable, often humorous, characters navigating life’s complexities. her performance as Shirley Valentine, a Liverpool housewife who rediscovers herself on a Greek holiday, earned her a BAFTA Award and an Academy Award nomination, cementing her status as a national treasure.
Born in 1938, Collins began her acting career in repertory theater before transitioning too television. She gained prominence in the 1970s with roles in popular series such as Upstairs, Downstairs, where she played a maid alongside her future husband, John alderton. The pair married in 1969 and had three children: Nicholas, Kate, and Richard. They frequently appeared together on screen, including in The Liver Birds and numerous other television and film projects.
Collins continued to work steadily throughout her career, with later credits including a 2005 television adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Bleak House and the 2015 series Dickensian. In 2012, she appeared in the acclaimed film Quartet, alongside Dame Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, and Billy Connolly. Her final acting role was in the 2017 road trip comedy the Time of Their Lives, co-starring Dame Joan Collins.
