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Pauline Collins, best known for her performance in the movie Shirley Valentine, has died at the age of 85.

Her passing was peaceful in her London residence, in the company of her family after living with Parkinson's disease for a number of years, according to her family.

Collins will be best remembered for her portrayal of unhappy homemaker Shirley in Lewis Gilbert's acclaimed film, adapted from the celebrated stage play by playwright Willy Russell.

Her critically acclaimed performance won her the Golden Globe Award for best actress as well as a Bafta.

'Sparkling Personality'

Collins' family released a statement saying: "She was a multifaceted person to countless individuals, playing a variety of roles in her life. A bright, sparky, witty presence on stage and screen. Her illustrious career saw her play politicians, mothers and queens."

"She will always be remembered as the legendary, determined, lively, and insightful Shirley Valentine - a part she completely owned. We knew all those parts of her because her magic was contained in each one of them."

They added she was their "devoted mother, our beloved grandmother and great-grandma", and actor John Alderton's "life-long love"

"Warm, funny, generous, thoughtful, wise, she was constantly supportive," they said, thanking her caregivers, who cared for her with "dignity, compassion, and most of all love"

"She could not have had a calmer departure. We ask that you recall her at the peak of her career; radiant and energetic; and give us the space and 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 outstanding actress.

The following year she returned to the character 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 1991's City of Joy with Patrick Swayze, filmed in Calcutta, which brought her wider recognition globally.

Born in Exmouth in 1940, Collins was raised near Liverpool and began her professional life as a teacher.

Her love of the stage led her to take up acting on a side 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, playing a fictional dancer in a London striptease nightclub, the Windmill Theatre.

After a number of stage roles, she employed her regional dialect to secure a part on the show The Liver Birds.

Her acting career that she met her husband John Alderton. They wed in 1969 and had a family of three, their sons and daughter.

The couple performed alongside each other in a variety of screen projects, such as the series Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she played a maid in ITV's popular series.