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The celebrated actress Pauline Collins, widely recognized for her performance in the film Shirley Valentine, has died at the eighty-five years old.

She died peacefully in her London residence, surrounded by her family after battling Parkinson's disease for a number of years, according to her relatives.

Her legacy will be defined for her portrayal of disgruntled housewife Shirley in Lewis Gilbert's acclaimed motion picture, adapted from the acclaimed theatrical production by Willy Russell.

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

'Sparkling Personality'

Collins' family said in a statement: "Pauline was so many things to so many people, portraying diverse characters 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 iconic, strong-willed, vivacious and wise Shirley Valentine - a role that she made all her own. We knew all those parts of her because her charm was embedded in every single role."

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

"Kind, humorous, giving, considerate, intelligent, she was always there for us," they expressed, thanking her carers, who looked after her with "respect, empathy, and above all affection"

"She experienced a calmer departure. We ask that you recall her at the height of her powers; radiant and energetic; and allow us privacy to reflect on life in her absence"

Broadway Role

She initially performed the title role of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theatre in London in 1988. She received that year's Olivier Award for outstanding actress.

The following year she reprised the role on the New York stage, where she earned several awards including a prestigious Tony award.

The movie adaptation was launched shortly after.

Additional movie roles included the 1991 film City of Joy with actor Patrick Swayze, shot in Kolkata, which gained her international fame worldwide.

A native of 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 side basis, and in 1957 she had a cameo role as a medical attendant in the Emergency Ward 10.

She starred in the film Secrets of a Windmill Girl in 1966, playing a fictional dancer 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 met her husband John Alderton. They wed in 1969 and had a family of three, Nicholas, Kate, and Richard.

The couple performed together in a variety of screen projects, such as Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she portrayed a servant in ITV's popular series.