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, surrounded by her family after living with Parkinson's disease for several years, according to her relatives.
Her legacy will be defined for her portrayal of unhappy homemaker Shirley in Lewis Gilbert's award-winning motion picture, adapted from the acclaimed stage play by Willy Russell.
Her praised acting won her the Golden Globe for best actress as well as a BAFTA award.
Her relatives said in a statement: "She was a multifaceted person to countless individuals, playing a variety of roles in her life. An intelligent, lively, and humorous figure on theater and film. Her distinguished work saw her portray leaders, parents, and royalty."
"Her memory will endure as the iconic, strong-willed, vivacious and wise Shirley Valentine - a role that she made all her own. We knew all those aspects of her personality because her magic was contained in every single role."
They added she was their "loving mum, our beloved grandmother and great-grandmother", and actor John Alderton's "eternal partner"
"Warm, funny, generous, thoughtful, wise, she was always there for us," they said, thanking her caregivers, who looked after her with "dignity, compassion, and most of all love"
"She experienced a more peaceful goodbye. We hope you will remember her at the peak of her career; radiant and energetic; and give us the space and privacy to reflect on life in her absence"
She initially performed the lead part of Shirley Valentine at the Vaudeville Theater in the UK capital in 1988. She received that year's Olivier Award for best actress.
A year later she returned to the character on Broadway, New York, where she picked up numerous prizes including a prestigious Tony award.
The movie adaptation was released later that year.
Her other films included the 1991 film City of Joy with actor Patrick Swayze, filmed in Calcutta, which brought her wider recognition globally.
A native of Exmouth in 1940, Collins was raised near the city of Liverpool and began her professional life 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 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.
Following several theater parts, she used her Liverpool accent to secure a part on The Liver Birds.
Her acting career that she encountered her spouse John Alderton. They married in 1969 and had a family of three, Nicholas, Kate, and Richard.
Alderton and Collins starred alongside each other in a variety of screen projects, such as Upstairs, Downstairs, in which she played a maid in the acclaimed ITV program.
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