Pauline Collins: Life and Career
Veteran British actor Pauline Collins passed away at 85 in London, after battling Parkinson's disease for several years. According to the BBC, she died peacefully at her care home, surrounded by family.
Iconic Role and Awards
Collins is best remembered for her role as the angry housewife Shirley in Lewis Gilbert's film Shirley Valentine, adapted from Willy Russell's acclaimed stage play. Although nominated for an Oscar, she did not win, but earned the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, as well as a BAFTA for her performance.
Pauline Collins died "peacefully" at her London care home, surrounded by her family.
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Born in Exmouth in 1940 and raised near Liverpool, Collins initially trained as a teacher before pursuing acting in the late 1950s. She began her screen career with a small cameo as a nurse in the British medical drama Emergency Ward 10 (1957).
Rise to Fame
She gained recognition through roles in films like Secrets of a Windmill Girl (1966), where she portrayed a dancer in a London striptease club. Collins became a household name in the UK with television performances in The Liver Birds and Upstairs, Downstairs.
Her international acclaim followed her stage debut of Shirley Valentine at London’s Vaudeville Theatre in 1988.
Awards Summary
- Oscar nomination for Shirley Valentine
- Golden Globe Award for Best Actress
- BAFTA Award for Best Actress
Pauline Collins left a lasting legacy through her memorable roles and awards, celebrated for bringing depth and authenticity to her characters.