Pauline Collins

Pauline Collins (born Sept. 3, 1940 in Exmouth, England; died Nov. 5, 2025) initially gained fame by playing maid Sarah in the long-running Upstairs, Downstairs (1971-73) then in a spinoff series, Thomas & Sarah, costarring with husband John Alderton, whom she met while taping the first series. The two also starred together subsequently, including the series No, Honestly and Wodehouse Playhouse. Collins starred in the one-woman play “Shirley Valentine” in the West End and Broadway and playwright Willy Russell fought to have her play the role in the film, which resulted in a Golden Globes nomination. Other films include City of Joy (1992), Paradise Road (1997) and Quartet, directed by Dustin Hoffman (2012).