Pauline Angela Collins (3 September 1940 – 5 November 2025) was a British actress who first rose to fame portraying Sarah Moffat in Upstairs, Downstairs (1971–1973) and its spin-off Thomas & Sarah (1979). In 1992, she published her autobiography, Letter to Louise.
Collins played the title role in the play Shirley Valentine for which she won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress, and the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. She reprised the role in the 1989 film adaptation of the play, winning a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, an Evening Standard British Film Award, and nominations for both an Academy Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe Award for the Best Performance by an Actress - Motion Picture. Collins also starred in the television dramas Forever Green (1989–1992) and The Ambassador (1998–1999). Her other film appearances include City of Joy (1992) and Paradise Road (1997).
Early life and career Pauline Angela Collins was born on 3 September 1940 in Exmouth, Devon, the daughter of Mary Honora (née Callanan), a schoolteacher, and William Henry Collins, a school headmaster. She was of Irish descent on both her mother's and father's side, and was brought up as a Catholic in Wallasey, Cheshire.Pauline, Collins. (28 March 1999). "Pauline Collins – My secret for a good marriage? Give", Interviewed by Sharon Feinstein, Sunday Mirror. Retrieved 13 May 2010. "But I was very worried about taking it on because I'm not Jewish. I'm a Liverpool Irish Catholic and this role was such a responsibility because it involved a huge and emotive part of the history of the Jewish race." Her great-uncle was the Irish poet Jeremiah Joseph Callanan.
Collins was educated at Sacred Heart High School in London and later studied at the Central School of Speech and Drama also in London. Before turning to acting, she worked as a teacher until 1962. She made her stage debut in A Gazelle in Park Lane in 1962 in Windsor, Berkshire, and her West End debut in Passion Flower Hotel in 1965. During the play's run, she made her first film, Secrets of a Windmill Girl, released in 1966. More stage roles followed.
Collins played Samantha Briggs in the 1967 Doctor Who serial The Faceless Ones and was offered the chance to continue in the series as a new companion for the Doctor, but declined the role.
Collins's other early television credits include the UK's first medical soap, Emergency Ward 10 (1960), and the pilot episode and first series of The Liver Birds, both in 1969.
Collins first became well known for her role as the maid Sarah Moffat in the 1970s drama series Upstairs, Downstairs. The character appeared regularly throughout the first two series, the second of which starred her actor husband John Alderton, with whom she later starred in the spin-off Thomas & Sarah (1979), the sitcom No, Honestly and a series of short-story adaptations titled Wodehouse Playhouse (1975–1976). She co-narrated the animated British children's television series Little Miss with Alderton in 1983.
In connection with her role on Upstairs, Downstairs, Collins recorded the 1973 single "What Are We Going to Do with Uncle Arthur?" (performed by her character several times during the series) backed with "With Every Passing Day" (a vocal version of the show's theme).
She was a subject of the television programme This Is Your Life in April 1972 when she was surprised by Eamonn Andrews.
Shirley Valentine and later years In 1988, Collins starred in the one-woman play Shirley Valentine in London, reprising the role on Broadway in 1989 and in the 1989 film version. The film won a number of awards and nominations; Collins was nominated for both an Oscar as Best Actress, as well as for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical. Both the play and the feature film used the technique known as breaking the fourth wall as the character Shirley Valentine directly addresses the audience throughout the story.
After Shirley Valentine, Collins starred with her husband in the popular ITV drama series Forever Green.
Collins was voted sexiest woman in Britain in 1990.
Collins's film credits included 1992's City of Joy, 1995's , 1997's Paradise Road, and 2002's Mrs Caldicot's Cabbage War, which also featured Alderton. In 1999 and 2000, Collins starred as Harriet Smith in the BBC television drama Ambassador. Her other later television career credits include The Saint, The Wednesday Play, Armchair Theatre, Play for Today, Tales of the Unexpected, Country Matters, and The Black Tower.
In 2002, she appeared in Man and Boy, a television adaptation based on Tony Parsons' bestselling novel. In 2005, she appeared as Miss Flite in the BBC production of Charles Dickens's Bleak House.
In 2006, she became the third actor to have been in both the original and new series of Doctor Who, appearing in the episode "Tooth and Claw" as Queen Victoria.
Later in 2006, she appeared in Extinct, a programme where eight celebrities campaigned on behalf of an animal to save it from extinction.
In December 2007, she appeared as the fairy godmother in the pantomime Cinderella at the Old Vic in London.
In 2011, she was cast as part of the comedy-drama Mount Pleasant.
In late 2015, she appeared as Mrs Gamp in the BBC TV series Dickensian.
Collins was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2001 Birthday Honours for services to drama.
Personal life and death Collins married actor John Alderton in 1969; they and their three children lived in Hampstead, London. With actor Tony Rohr, Collins had a daughter, Louise, whom she placed for adoption in 1964. She and Louise were reunited 21 years later. Collins's book, Letter to Louise, documents these events.
Later in life, Collins had Parkinson's disease. She died at a care home in Highgate, London, on 5 November 2025 aged 85.
Filmography Film +YearTitleRoleNotes1966Secrets of a Windmill GirlPat Lord1989Shirley ValentineShirley Valentine-Bradshaw1992City of JoyJoan Bethel1995My Mother's CourageElsa Tabori1997Paradise RoadDaisy 'Margaret' Drummond2000One Life StandKaraoke Crowd2002Mrs Caldicot's Cabbage WarThelma Caldicot2009From Time to TimeMrs Tweedie2010You Will Meet a Tall Dark StrangerCristal2011Albert NobbsMargaret 'Madge' Baker2012QuartetCissy Robson2015DoughJoanna2017The Time of Their LivesPriscillaByrd and the BeesBeatrice
Television Year Title Role Notes 1957 Emergency – Ward 10 Nurse Elliott 1 episode1966 The Marriage Lines Jean Episode: "Big Business" Pardon the Expression Miss Wainwright / Val 3 episodes The Saint Marie-Therese Episode: "The Better Mousetrap" Blackmail Freida Straker Episode: "Please Do Not Disturb"1967The AvengersMiss Peadbody (voice, uncredited)Episode: "Dead Man's Treasure" Doctor Who Samantha Briggs Serial: "The Faceless Ones"1968 Armchair Theatre Betty / Mary Murtagh 2 episodes 1969 The Old Campaigner Winnie Haldane Episode: "French Farce" Comedy Playhouse Dawn / Marjorie 2 episodes The Liver Birds Dawn 5 episodes Parkin's Patch Doreen Ashworth Episode: "A Pair of Good Shoes"1972 Country Matters Ruby Episode: "Crippled Bloom" 1971–1973 Upstairs, Downstairs Sarah Moffat 13 episodes 1974 No, Honestly Clara Burrell-Danby 13 episodes 1975 BBC Play of the Month Lady Teazle Episode: "The School for Scandal" 1975–1976 Wodehouse Playhouse various characters 13 episodes 1979 Thomas & Sarah Sarah Moffat Play for Today Eileen Episode: "Long Distance Information" 1980 Tales of the Unexpected Pat Lewis Episode: "A Girl Can't Always Have Everything" 1984 Knockback Sylvia TV movie 1985 The Black Tower Maggie Hewson 5 episodes 1988 Tales of the Unexpected Eve Peregrine Episode: "The Colonel's Lady" 1989–1992 Forever Green Harriet Boult 18 episodes 1996 Flowers of the Forest Aileen Matthews TV movie 1998–1999 The Ambassador Harriet Smith 13 Episodes 2000 Little Grey Rabbit TV series 2002 Man and Boy Betty Silver TV movie 2003 Sparkling Cyanide Catherine Kendall 2005 Bleak House Miss Flite 10 episodes 2006 Doctor Who Queen Victoria Episode: "Tooth and Claw" What We Did on Our Holiday Lil Taylor TV movie 2010 Agatha Christie's Marple Thyrza Grey Episode: "The Pale Horse" Merlin Alice Episode: "Love in the Time of Dragons" 2011–2012 Mount Pleasant Sue 14 episodes 2015–2016 Dickensian Mrs Gamp 20 episodes
Theatre +YearTitleRoleNotes1962A Gazelle in Park LaneSabiha, an Arab maid-servantTheatre Royal, Windsor1965-1966Passion Flower HotelLady Janet WigtonPrince of Wales Theatre1968The Importance of Being EarnestCecily CardewTheatre Royal, Haymarket1969The Night I Chased the Women with an EelBrenda CooperComedy Theatre, London, Chester Gateway Theatre, and other locations1970The Happy AppleNancy GrayApollo Theatre, Theatre Royal, Brighton, and other locationsCome As You AreNew Theatre, London and Strand Theatre, London1974JudiesJudy Comedy Theatre1975EngagedMinnie SympersonThe Old Vic, London1975–1976ConfusionsTheatre Royal, Bath1976–1977Lucy / Paula / Polly / Milly / BerylApollo Theatre1980–1981Rattle of a Simple ManCyrenneSavoy Theatre, Theatre Royal, Windsor, and other locations1983Romantic ComedyPhoebe CraddockApollo Theatre1986–1987 Woman in MindSusan (replacement)Vaudeville Theatre and Richmond Theatre1988-89Shirley ValentineShirley ValentineVaudeville TheatreBooth Theatre1992ShadesPearlAlbery Theatre, Richmond Theatre, London, and other locations2007–2008CinderellaFairy GodmotherThe Old Vic, London
Awards and nominations +YearAwardsCategoryNominated worksResultsRef.1973British Academy Television AwardsBest ActressUpstairs, Downstairs / Country Matters / Crippled Bloom1976Laurence Olivier AwardsActress of the Year in a New PlayEngaged 1987CableACE AwardsBest Actress in a Theatrical or Dramatic SpecialKnockback1988Laurence Olivier AwardsActress of the Year in a New PlayShirley Valentine1989Drama Desk AwardOutstanding Actress in a PlayDrama League AwardDistinguished Performance AwardOuter Critics Circle AwardsOutstanding Actress in a PlayTheatre World AwardBest ActressGolden Apple AwardFemale Discovery Of The Year Tony AwardsBest Actress in a Play1990Academy AwardsBest ActressShirley ValentineBritish Academy Film AwardsBest Actress in a Leading RoleEvening Standard British Film AwardsBest ActressGolden Globe AwardsBest Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
References
External links
Pauline Collins images 2001 profile Article about Collins's receipt of the OBE