Pauline Collins, who won a cult following for her portrayal of Shirley Valentine, a disillusioned middle-aged housewife finding excitement in Greece, has died. She was 85.

In a statement on Thursday, her family said Collins died peacefully at her care home in north London this week, having endured Parkinson's for several years.

In a long career that spanned television, film and theatre, Collins was adept at playing an array of roles, all of which she infused with her trademark authenticity that earned her the status of a "national sweetheart" in the UK.

"Pauline was so many things to so many people, playing a variety of roles in her life," the family said. "A bright, sparky, witty presence on stage and screen."

Collins got her big break in 1969 when she starred in the first series of t

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