Pauline Collins  (born 3 September 1940) is an English actress of stage, television, and movies. 

Her first major role was in 1971 as Sarah Moffat in Upstairs, Downstairs.

In 1988, Collins played the title role in the play Shirley Valentine.

In 1989, She reprised the role in the movie adaptation. She won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. 

In 1992, she released her autobiography, titled Letter to Louise.

Early life and career
Collins was born in Exmouth, Devon. Her mother was a school teacher. Her father was a school headmaster. She was brought up as a Roman Catholic in Wallasey near Liverpool. Her great-uncle was Irish poet Jeremiah Joseph Callanan.

Collins was educated at Sacred Heart High School. She studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. She worked as a teacher until 1962. She then made her stage debut at Windsor in A Gazelle in Park Lane. In 1965, she made her West End debut in Passion Flower Hotel. During the play's run, she made her first movie, Secrets of a Windmill Girl. It was released in 1966.

Collins played Samantha Briggs in the 1967 Doctor Who serial The Faceless Ones. She declined an offer of a role as a new companion for the Doctor.

Other early TV credits include the UK's first medical soap Emergency - Ward 10 (1960).  In 1969, she was in the pilot episode and first series of The Liver Birds.

Collins first became well known for her role as the maid Sarah in the 1970s ITV drama series Upstairs, Downstairs. The character was in the first two series. In the second series she appeared with her actor husband, John Alderton. In 1979, they starred in a spin-off, Thomas & Sarah. They also starred in the sitcom No, Honestly. This was written by Terence Brady and Charlotte Bingham. From 1975 to 1978, they worked together in a series of short-story adaptations called Wodehouse Playhouse. In 1983, they narrated the animated British children's TV series Little Miss.

In April 1972, she was a subject of the television programme This Is Your Life, being surprised by Eamonn Andrews.

In 1973, in her Upstairs, Downstairs role, Collins recorded a single for Decca called What Are We Going to Do with Uncle Arthur?. It was performed by her character several times during the series. The 'B' side was With Every Passing Day (a vocal version of the show's theme).

Shirley Valentine
In 1988, Collins starred in the one-woman play Shirley Valentine in London. In 1989 she reprised the role on Broadway. She was then in the 1989 movie version. The movie won a number of awards and nominations. Both the play and the feature movie used the technique known as "breaking the fourth wall". The character Shirley Valentine directly addresses the audience throughout the story.

After Shirley Valentine
Collins starred alongside her husband in the popular ITV drama series Forever Green. This was created and written by Terence Brady and Charlotte Bingham. It was about a couple who start a new life in the country with their children. It ran from 1989 to 1992 in over 18 episodes. 

In 1990, Collins was voted sexiest woman in Britain.  

In 2006, she became only the third actor to have been in both the original and new series of Doctor Who. She appeared in the episode "Tooth and Claw" as Queen Victoria. 

In 2015, she appeared as Mrs Gamp in the BBC TV series Dickensian.

In the 2001 Birthday Honours, Collins was agiven an OBE  for services to drama.

Personal life

Collins married actor John Alderton in 1969 and lives in Hampstead, London, with her husband and their three children, Nicholas, Kate, and Richard. She also has an older daughter with actor Tony Rohr, Louise, whom she gave up for adoption. They were reunited when Louise was 22 years old.

TV and filmography

Awards and nominations
Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress (winner)
Tony Award in 1989 for Best Actress in a Play (winner)
Theatre World Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut (winner)
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play (winner)
Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Actress (winner)
Academy Award for Best Actress (nominee)
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, Comedy or Musical (nominee)
BAFTA for Best Film Actress (winner)

References

Other websites

Pauline Collins images
2001 profile
Article about Collins' receipt of the OBE
Pauline Collins(Aveleyman)
Pauline Collins' appearance on This Is Your Life

1940 births
BAFTA Award winners
Drama Desk Award winners
English movie actors
English Roman Catholics
English stage actors
English television actors
Laurence Olivier Award winners
Living people
Officers of the Order of the British Empire
Tony Award winning actors
People from Devon