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The celebrated actress Pauline Collins, widely recognized for her role in the film Shirley Valentine, has died at the eighty-five years old.

Her passing was peaceful in her London care home, in the company of her family after living with Parkinson's for a number of years, as stated by her relatives.

Her legacy will be defined for her depiction of unhappy homemaker Shirley in the director's award-winning film, based on the acclaimed theatrical production by Willy Russell.

Her critically acclaimed performance won her the Golden Globe for best actress along with a Bafta.

'Sparkling Personality'

Her relatives released a statement saying: "Pauline was so many things to so many people, portraying diverse characters in her career. An intelligent, lively, and humorous figure on stage and screen. Her illustrious career saw her portray leaders, parents, and royalty."

"She will always be remembered as the legendary, determined, lively, and insightful Shirley Valentine - a part she completely owned. We knew all those aspects of her personality because her charm was embedded in each one of them."

The statement continued she was their "loving mum, our wonderful grandma and great-grandmother", and actor John Alderton's "eternal partner"

"Kind, humorous, giving, considerate, intelligent, she was constantly supportive," they said, appreciating her caregivers, who looked after her with "respect, empathy, and above all affection"

"She could not have had a calmer departure. We ask that you recall her at the height of her powers; so joyful and full of energy; and give us the space and privacy to reflect on life in her absence"

New York Theater

Collins first played the lead part of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theatre in the UK capital in 1988. She won that year's Olivier Award for outstanding actress.

A year later she reprised the role on the New York stage, where she earned several awards including a prestigious Tony award.

The movie adaptation was launched shortly after.

Additional movie roles included the 1991 film City of Joy with Patrick Swayze, filmed in Calcutta, which gained her international fame worldwide.

Born in Exmouth in 1940, Collins was raised near Liverpool and started out her career as a educator.

Her passion for theater led her to take up acting on a part-time basis, and in 1957 she had a cameo role as a nurse 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 striptease nightclub, the Windmill Theater.

Following several theater parts, she employed her regional dialect to secure a part on The Liver Birds.

It was through acting that she met her husband John Alderton. They married in 1969 and had three children, Nicholas, Kate, and Richard.

The couple performed together in a number of television and film roles, such as Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she played a maid in ITV's popular series.