‘The Shining’ and ‘Nashville’ star Shelley Duvall tragically dies at 75.
The big eyed Shelley Duvall, worked in Robert Altman’s ‘3 Women’ and won Cannes actress award, dies of diabetes complications on Thursday in Blanco, Texas. She was 75 year-old as confirmed by her partner Dan Gilroy.
Shelley’s husband Dan Gilroy said in a statement, “My dear, sweet, wonderful life, partner, and friend left us last night. Too much suffering lately, now she’s free. Fly away beautiful Shelley.”
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Duvall first appeared in director Robert Altman’s “Brewster McCloud” and then went on to make films like “McCabe & Mrs. Miller” and “Thieves Like Us.” She peaked her career when signed as part of the ensemble cast of “Nashville” in 1975. After gaining popularity, Altman signed her in “Buffalo Bills and the Indians” before shining in “3 Women,” for which she bagged the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress and a BAFTA nomination.
In 1977, Duvall played a Rolling Stones journalist in the movie “Annie Hall,” directed by Woody Allen. During this time, She met Paul Simon on the set and dated for two years.
Duvall starred as “Olive Oyl” because of her big eyes in Altman’s “Popeye” in 1980. Her magnificent performance as a health spa worker in “3 women”, based on the Stephen King novel, lands her in Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” as Wendy Torrance.
The Shining required more than a year for the shooting and Duvall appeared as Wendy Torrance in the movie required more than 100 takes for some scenes. After years, she reveled about difficult situation on the set of The Shining with the Hollywood Reporter, “After a while, your body rebels. It says: ‘Stop doing this to me. I don’t want to cry every day.’ And sometimes just that thought alone would make me cry.”
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“To wake up on a Monday morning, so early, and realize that you had to cry all day because it was scheduled — I would just start crying. I’d be like, ‘Oh no, I can’t, I can’t.’ And yet I did it. I don’t know how I did it. Jack said that to me, too. He said, ‘I don’t know how you do it.’“
Duvall’s other masterpieces includes Terry Gilliam’s “Time Bandits” and the comedy movie “Roxanne,” directed by Steve Martin.
During the 1980s, Shelley Duvall expressed her interest in producing and then produced a series of children’s anthology shows like Faerie Tale Theatre,” “Tall Tales & Legends,” “Nightmare Classics” and “Bedtime Stories.” Of which later two grabbed the attention of notable directors including Tim Burton, Francis Ford Coppola and Ivan Passer and guest stars like Robin Williams, Jamie Lee Curtis, Elliot Gould, Laura Dern, Molly Ringwald and Ed Asner.
Shelley Duvall was born in Ft. Worth, Texas and met Robert Altman at a party while “Brewster McCloud” was in the production. After returning to Texas, Duvall appeared in Steven Soderbergh’s “The Underneath” in 1995 and then starred in Jane Campion’s “The Portrait of a Lady.” Before she retired from acting in 2002.
Her acting career and life saw full of ups and downs with a significant down came when she episode of Shelley Duvall interview with Dr. Phil aired in 2016 which garnered negative publicity for sensationalizing her struggles with mental health.
In 2023, She returned to acting after many years and appeared in indie horror movie, “The Forest Hills.” She is survived by her partner, musician Dan Gilroy, and her brothers, Scott, Stewart and Shane.
Shelley Duvall interview with Dr. Phil
FAQs
who is Shelley Duvall?
Shelly Duval is an American actress and producer, who appeared in films like The Shining, The Underneath, The Portrait of a Lady, 3 Women etc. and won Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress for Robert Altman’s 3 Women. She retired from acting in 2002 but appeared in “The Forest Hills” in 2023.