BBC Breakfast guest Tom Conti delivered an emotional and heartfelt tribute to his late co-star Pauline Collins, who starred alongside him in the beloved 1989 romantic comedy Shirley Valentine.
A Life-Changing Partnership
Appearing on Friday's show, Conti revealed that Collins, who died 'peacefully' at the age of 85 after a long battle with Parkinson's disease, had fundamentally changed his life. "Pauline did change my life. She did, in fact, change my life because I did Shirley V with her," he told hosts Ben Thompson and Sarah Campbell. He explained that the film, powered by her "phenomenal work," ultimately transformed both of their careers.
Conti recalled the moment he knew the film would be a success. "As I watched her speak to the camera, I thought, this movie's going to be a hit," he shared. He praised her "incandescent" ability for the "transference of thought," which he described as the true essence of acting. He placed her amongst the greats, stating, "She and Maggie Smith, I think, were our greatest actresses."
The Secret to Her Brilliance
According to Conti, Collins's unparalleled skill lay in her naturalism. "The secret of acting is not acting and she was brilliant at that," he said. "She just talked. And you believed her absolutely everything that she said... Because you weren't watching an actress, you were watching a person. And that's a phenomenal skill."
Their professional chemistry was built on a foundation of a deep, long-standing personal friendship. Conti disclosed that they had been neighbours for three decades before ever working together. "We lived in the same road for 30 years. We were neighbours," he said. "We were in and out of each other's houses all the time. I mean, it was a very long friendship. I knew her long before we did Shirley Valentine together."
A Legacy of an Iconic Actress
In a statement released by her family, Collins was remembered as "a bright, sparky, witty presence on stage and screen." They affirmed she would "always be remembered as the iconic, strong-willed, vivacious and wise Shirley Valentine – a role that she made all her own." The family described her as a "loving mum, our wonderful grandma and great-grandma" and thanked her carers for their compassion.
Dame Joanna Lumley, who also appeared in Shirley Valentine, paid her own tribute, calling Collins "unforgettable" and praising her "blend of truthfulness and soulful naivety with impeccable comic timing and mischief."
Born in Devon and raised in Wallasey, Cheshire, Collins trained at the Central School of Speech and Drama. Her performance as the Liverpool housewife who finds herself again in Greece in Shirley Valentine earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress and a Golden Globe win for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical. Her extensive career spanned film, television, and theatre, and in 2001 she was made an OBE for her services to drama.
