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The celebrated actress Pauline Collins, best known for her role in the movie Shirley Valentine, has passed away at the eighty-five years old.

She died peacefully in her London residence, surrounded by her loved ones after battling Parkinson's disease for a number of years, as stated by her family.

Collins will be best remembered for her portrayal of disgruntled housewife Shirley in the director's acclaimed motion picture, based on the acclaimed theatrical production by Willy Russell.

Her praised acting won her the Golden Globe for best actress along with a BAFTA award.

'Sparkling Personality'

Her relatives released a statement saying: "Pauline was so many things to countless individuals, playing a variety of roles in her life. A bright, sparky, witty presence on stage and screen. Her distinguished work saw her play politicians, mothers and queens."

"Her memory will endure as the legendary, determined, lively, and insightful Shirley Valentine - a role that she made all her own. We were familiar with all those aspects of her personality because her charm was embedded in each one of them."

They added she was their "loving mum, our beloved grandmother and great-grandmother", and her husband John Alderton's "eternal partner"

"Kind, humorous, giving, considerate, intelligent, she was constantly supportive," they expressed, thanking her caregivers, who looked after her with "dignity, compassion, and most of all love"

"She experienced a more peaceful goodbye. We ask that you recall her at the height of her powers; so joyful and full of energy; and allow us privacy to reflect on life in her absence"

Broadway Role

She initially performed the lead part of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theatre in the UK capital in 1988. She received that year's Olivier Award for best actress.

A year later she reprised the role on the New York stage, where she picked up numerous prizes including a prestigious Tony award.

The film of the same name was launched shortly after.

Her other films included the 1991 film City of Joy with actor Patrick Swayze, shot in Kolkata, which gained her international fame globally.

Born in Exmouth in 1940, she grew up near the city of 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 medical attendant in the Emergency Ward 10.

She featured in the film Secrets of a Windmill Girl in 1966, portraying an imaginary performer in a London striptease nightclub, the Windmill Theatre.

After a number of stage roles, she employed her regional dialect to land a role on The Liver Birds.

It was through acting that she encountered her spouse John Alderton. They married in 1969 and had a family of three, their sons and daughter.

The couple performed alongside each other in a number of television and film roles, such as Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she portrayed a servant in ITV's popular series.