Pauline Collins

Pauline Collins (born September 3 1940) is a British actress working extensively in movies and television. She was nominated for a Tony Award for her role on Broadway in Shirley Valentine, and an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the movie Shirley Valentine.

Of Irish Catholic extraction, Collins first became well-known for her role as the maid, Sarah, in the 1970s ITV drama series, Upstairs, Downstairs, which was created by Jean Marsh. The series also starred her actor husband, John Alderton, with whom she went on to star in a spin-off, Thomas and Sarah, and a sitcom, No, Honestly, as well as in a series of short stories called Wodehouse Playhouse.

She appeared as Samantha Briggs in the 1967 Doctor Who story The Faceless Ones by Malcolm Hulke and David Ellis. She was offered the chance to continue in the series as a new companion for the Doctor as the producers liked her character so much, but she declined the offer. In 2006, she will become only the third actor to have appeared in both the classic and new series of Doctor Who when she appears in the episode Tooth and Claw as Queen Victoria.