Veteran British actress Pauline Collins has died at the age of 85, her family announced on Thursday.
According to the family statement, Collins passed away “peacefully” in a London care home, surrounded by loved ones, after enduring several years with Parkinson’s disease.
In their statement, the Collins family described her as “a bright, sparky, witty presence on stage and screen” and emphasised that beyond her many roles, she was above all “our loving mum, our wonderful grandma and great-grandma.”
“Warm, funny, generous, thoughtful, wise, she was always there for us,” they said, thanking her carers, who looked after her with “dignity, compassion, and most of all love”.
Her husband, actor John Alderton, also paid tribute, noting her remarkable range and the way she brought out the best in those around her. “What I saw was not only her brilliant range of diverse characters but her magic of bringing out the best in all of the people she worked with,” he said.
“She wanted everyone to be special and she did this by never saying ‘Look at me’. It’s no wonder that she was voted the nation’s sweetheart in the 1970s.”
With Collins’s passing, the world bids farewell to one of Britain’s most beloved screen and stage stars. Collins’s breakthrough came with her role in the one‐woman stage play Shirley Valentine. Her portrayal of the disillusioned Liverpool housewife who rediscovers herself on holiday in Greece became a cultural touchstone.
She performed in the play on London’s West End and then on Broadway, earning both an Olivier and Tony award for best actress.
Pauline also starred in the film of the same name, which won her the Golden Globe Award for best actress along with a Bafta.
She also became well-known for her television work, including the early ’70s period drama Upstairs, Downstairs, where she played Sarah Moffat.
She was honoured with an OBE in 2001 for services to drama.
The family asked for privacy “to contemplate a life without her” and invited fans to remember her “at the height of her powers; so joyful and full of energy.”
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