‘You didn’t get technique thrown at you – you got Pauline thrown at you’

Julia McKenzie

I’d been aware of Pauline for a long time before we first worked together on Shirley Valentine in 1989. From the moment you saw her bright little face in Upstairs, Downstairs, you knew she was going somewhere because people just loved her. You don’t often find that: people can admire you, but to be immediately loved as she was is unusual. I think that was half her secret – knowing how to love and be loved.

Pauline shared so many traits with Shirley: crispness mixed with warmth, kindness and generosity, being very down-to-earth – and very funny. She just had everything for that role. She was born to play it.

She didn’t do a lot of technique, although she was very experienced and a thorough pro on set

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