Heavens. One of the UK's most popular actresses, Miss Pauline Collins is eighty years old today!
In a career spanning seven decades, her roles have encompassed realist drama, situation comedy, costume drama, children's programmes, sci-fi and a variety of "homespun" character parts on telly and on the big screen - everything from Z-Cars to Upstairs, Downstairs to Tales of the Unexpected to The Ambassador to Quartet, indeed.
Of course, it is for one marvellous award-winning performance that she is forever immortalised, however - Shirley Valentine!
"That's right, Millandra, I'm going to Greece for the sex! Sex for breakfast! Sex for dinner! Sex for tea! And sex for supper!"
"Sounds like a fantastic diet, love!"
"It is, have you never heard of it? It's called the "F" plan!"
A superb film. A superb actress.
Facts about Pauline Collins:
- Despite her Scouse accent, Pauline was actually born in Exmouth in Devon; her family moved to Liverpool when she was a child.
- After an early part in Doctor Who, in 1967 she was offered to become the Second Doctor's next companion but turned the part down.
- She was "Dawn" in the first five episodes of the classic 70s BBC sitcom The Liver Birds, before Nerys Hughes debuted in the show.
- She and real-life husband John Alderton not only acted together as "Thomas and Sarah" in Upstairs, Downstairs and its eponymous spin-off, they were often cast as a couple - in Yes, Honestly, Wodehouse Playhouse, Forever Green and Mrs Caldicot's Cabbage War, as well as on stage.
Oh, happy birthday Pauline Collins!
ReplyDeleteI love Shirley Valentine - I haven't seen it in an age, though. And I have vague recollections of watching Forever Green many, many years ago...
P.S. I used to think she was Joan Collins other sister!
The two were cast together in The Time of Their Lives, funnily enough... Jx
DeleteShe is absolutely beautiful, funny and talented. I've seen Shirley Valentine quite a few times, partly because my mum fancied Tom Conti.
ReplyDeleteEach to their own, I suppose... Jx
DeletePS His Greek accent in the film needed some work.
I can't tell accents apart anyway.
DeleteYou could get away with the "nonspecific foreigner voice" more in the eighties.
Willie Russell is a genius. And a singer as well as a playwright
I had forgotten her name, but loved the characters she's played. after I clicked on her name, I went down the wikipedia wormhole and ended up revisiting the Duchess of Duke Street! (I know, only marginally related, but that was after reading all about Upstairs, Downstairs, etc.) thanks, sweetpea, for a stroll down memory lane! xoxo
ReplyDeleteThe UK does indeed have a long and fine history of such marvellous "costume dramas" - the progenitors of Downton Abbey, one and all. Jx
DeleteI watched Shirley Valentine a couple of weeks back - she is a fabulous actress. I also watched the film with her and Joan Collins, which is quietly wonderful [I've seen it twice now though can't remember the name of it off hand].
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As in my reply to Mr DeVice above, it's The Time of Their Lives... I've never seen the film, but my mother loves it. Jx
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