Pauline Collins, best known for her role in the movie Shirley Valentine, has died at the age of 85.
Her passing was peaceful in her London care home, surrounded by her loved ones after battling Parkinson's for a number of years, as stated by her family.
Collins will be best remembered for her depiction of unhappy homemaker Shirley in Lewis Gilbert's acclaimed motion picture, based on the acclaimed stage play by playwright Willy Russell.
Her praised acting won her the Golden Globe for outstanding actress as well as a Bafta.
Her relatives said in a statement: "Pauline was so many things to countless individuals, playing a variety of roles in her career. An intelligent, lively, and humorous figure on theater and film. Her illustrious career saw her portray leaders, parents, and royalty."
"She will always be remembered as the iconic, strong-willed, vivacious and wise Shirley Valentine - a role that she made all her own. We were familiar with all those parts of her because her magic was contained in every single role."
The statement continued she was their "devoted mother, our beloved grandmother and great-grandmother", and actor John Alderton's "life-long love"
"Kind, humorous, giving, considerate, intelligent, she was always there for us," they said, thanking her caregivers, who cared for her with "respect, empathy, and above all affection"
"She experienced a calmer departure. We hope you will remember her at the peak of her career; so joyful and full of energy; and give us the space and privacy to reflect on life in her absence"
Collins first played the lead part of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theater in the UK capital in 1988. She won that year's Olivier award for best actress.
The following year she reprised the role on Broadway, New York, 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 Patrick Swayze, shot in Kolkata, which brought her wider recognition worldwide.
A native of Exmouth in 1940, she grew up near Liverpool and started out her career as a educator.
Her love of the stage led her to take up acting on a side basis, and in 1957 she appeared briefly as a nurse in the TV series Emergency Ward 10.
She starred in the film Secrets of a Windmill Girl in 1966, portraying an imaginary performer in a London striptease nightclub, the Windmill Theatre.
Following several theater parts, she employed her regional dialect to land a role on The Liver Birds.
Her acting career that she encountered her spouse John Alderton. They married in 1969 and had three children, 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 played a maid in ITV's popular series.
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