The multi-faceted actress, whose indelible performances in films like 'McCabe & Mrs. Miller,' 'Nashville,' 'Popeye,' and '3 Women' left a lasting impression, was also a trailblazer in producing television series for young audiences. Shelley Duvall, the delicately framed and captivating figure who starred in seven films helmed by her mentor, Robert Altman, and narrowly escaped the maddened grasp of Jack Nicholson in Stanley Kubrick's 'The Shining,' passed away peacefully in her sleep on Thursday, succumbing to complications stemming from diabetes. She was 75 years old.
According to Gary Springer, Duvall's spokesperson, she died at her home in Blanco, Texas. "My dear, precious, and marvelous life partner and friend has departed. She endured so much suffering in recent times, but now she is free. Fly away, the gorgeous Shelley," said Dan Gilroy, her life partner since 1989.
In November 2016, a visibly distressed Duvall appeared on an episode of 'Dr. Phil' and revealed her struggle with mental illness, confessing, "I am gravely ill. I desperately need help." Four years later, Seth Abramovitch from The Hollywood Reporter visited her for an unforgettable interview.
Before retreating to her native Texas in the mid-1990s, Duvall enjoyed a flourishing career as an unparalleled actress and the head of her own production company, Think Entertainment, which crafted innovative and star-studded children's programs for cable television, earning her two Emmy Award nominations.
During her junior college years in Houston, Duvall was scouted by Altman's team and persuaded to take a screen test. Her on-screen debut was as the teenage seductress and Astrodome tour guide, Suzanne Davis, in 'Brewster McCloud' (1970). A decade later, Duvall serenaded and starred opposite Robin Williams, portraying the iconic comic-strip character of Olive Oyl, the resilient damsel in distress, in Altman's live-action adaptation of 'Popeye.'
In between these roles, the childlike star collaborated with Altman in various films, including 'McCabe & Mrs. Miller' (1971), where she played a mail-order bride; 'Thieves Like Us' (1974), as the woman who falls in love with bank robber Keith Carradine in Mississippi; 'Nashville' (1975), where she portrayed the flamboyant groupie L.A. Joan, adorned in hot pants and platform shoes; 'Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson' (1976), as the wife of President Grover Cleveland; and '3 Women' (1977), as Millie Lamoureaux, a fantasizing attendant at a Palm Springs health spa catering to the elderly.
When asked by The New York Times in 1977 why she chose to continue working with Altman, Duvall said, "He offers me remarkable roles. None of them are alike. He has immense confidence, trust, and respect for me, and he never imposes restrictions or intimidates me. I adore him." She recalled Altman's first piece of advice: "Don't take yourself too seriously." Duvall confessed, "Sometimes, I find myself getting self-centered, but that bit of advice always pops into my head, and I laugh it off."
Altman once remarked that Duvall "could swing between all sides of the pendulum: charming, silly, sophisticated, pathetic, even beautiful." Her portrayal of Millie earned her the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival.
For the film adaptation of Stephen King's 'The Shining,' Duvall endured a testing 13-month shoot in England. In this horror classic, she portrayed Wendy Torrance, the beleaguered wife who spends a harsh winter at the desolate Overlook Hotel with her gradually unhinged writer husband (Nicholson) and their young son (Danny Lloyd).
Shelley Duvall endured Kubrick's relentless demands, crying for a staggering 12 hours a day for weeks on end, she revealed in a 1981 interview with People magazine. "I shall never again endure such an ordeal," she said. "If you choose to immerse yourself in pain and label it as art, be my guest, but I shall not follow suit." Prior to a scene, Duvall confessed to Abramovitch in January 2021, she would immerse herself in sorrowful melodies on her Sony Walkman, or reflect on heartbreaking memories of lost loved ones. However, the constant strain on her emotions eventually took its toll. Her body cried out, begging, "Stop this torture. I yearn for respite from these tears." The mere thought of having to cry on cue, especially on a Monday morning, would bring her to tears. "Oh, no, I can't bear it," she would wail, yet somehow, she persevered. Even Jack, she said, marveled at her resilience, admitting, "I am baffled by your strength."
One report claimed that Duvall was compelled to repeat her iconic baseball bat scene a grueling 127 times. Her presence on screen was always captivating, whether as a quirky rock journalist in Woody Allen's Annie Hall (1977), the comedic Pansy in Terry Gilliam's Time Bandits (1981), or Steve Martin's loyal friend Dixie in Roxanne (1987). Roger Ebert praised Duvall in 1980, noting that she "stands out uniquely in appearance and voice... and has portrayed a remarkable array of characters unparalleled among her contemporaries in the 1970s."
In all her roles, Duvall exuded a sense of authenticity, as if no barrier — camera, dialogue, makeup, or acting technique — stood between her and the audience. She seemed to embody her characters spontaneously. After a two-decade hiatus, Duvall returned to acting in 2022, starring in The Forest Hills.
Shelley Alexis Duvall was born on July 7, 1949, in Fort Worth, the eldest of four siblings and the only daughter. Her parents, Bob, a cattle auctioneer turned lawyer, and Bobbie, a realtor, relocated the family to Houston when she was five. Duvall attended South Texas Junior College, where she pursued a career as a research scientist and developed a keen interest in nutrition.
At a party she hosted for her fiancé, the artist Bernard Sampson, Duvall encountered members of Altman's crew who were in town filming Brewster McCloud. They introduced her to the director and producer Lou Adler, who offered the gangly 20-year-old with an overbite a role in the movie. Initially hesitant, as she had never traveled beyond Texas, Duvall eventually relented and agreed to a screen test. "I grew weary of arguing and thought, 'Perhaps I am destined for the stage,'" she reflected.
Her illustrious career would span numerous roles, including F. Scott Fitzgerald's Bernice Bobs Her Hair (1976) for PBS, Frankenweenie (1984), Changing Habits (1997), Home Fries (1998), Jane Campion's The Portrait of a Lady (1996), Suburban Commando (1991), and her final acting stint for a while in Manna From Heaven (2002).
In 1981, Duvall ventured into music, releasing Sweet Dreams, an album of children's tunes. A year later, Showtime bought her pitch for a Peabody Award-winning series, Faerie Tale Theatre, which she executive produced, narrated, and starred in for 26 episodes. Three years later, she created Tall Tales & Legends, another anthology series for Showtime, showcasing adaptations of American folklore.
For both shows, Duvall convinced A-listers like Williams, Teri Garr, Eric Idle, Jeff Bridges, Mick Jagger, Liza Minnelli, and Vanessa Redgrave to work for scale. Both series were also highly successful on video.
In 1987, Duvall founded Think Entertainment, specializing in family entertainment such as Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories (featuring the likes of Bette Midler, Michael J. Fox, and Dudley Moore narrating classic children's tales) and Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle. She also produced telefilms, including ABC's Backfield in Motion, starring Roseanne and Tom Arnold.
Duvall married Sampson during the filming of Brewster McCloud, but their union dissolved after four years in 1974, shortly after they relocated to Los Angeles. She later dated musician Paul Simon, whom she encountered in New York
