Oscar-nominated, Tony-winning British actress Pauline Collins, best known for her iconic role in “Shirley Valentine,” has died at the age of 85.
The BBC reports that Collins died ‘peacefully’ at her home in London at the age of 85. An exact cause of death wasn’t mentioned, but Collins had suffered from Parkinson’s disease for a long time.
The actress gained global recognition for her role as Shirley Valentine, a neglected middle-aged Liverpudlian housewife who has a holiday romance with a Greek tavern owner, originally on stage in a one-woman play in 1988 and then in the film adaptation in 1989 alongside Tom Conti.
Before that, she rose to fame portraying Sarah Moffat in “Upstairs, Downstairs” in the early 1970s. Her film credits include “City of Joy,” “Paradise Road,” “Mrs Caldicot’s Cabbage War,” “You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger,” “Albert Nobbs,” “Quartet” and “The Time of their Lives”.
Her TV credits are extensive, including both the original “Doctor Who” in 1967 and again in modern “Doctor Who” in 2006. She was offered a companion role at one point, but turned it down. She also guest-starred in shows like “The Avengers,” “The Saint,” and “The Black Tower”.
Source: BBC
