Shelley Duvall, star of 'The Shining' and 'Popeye,' dies at 75
Shelley Duvall, the actress best known for Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" and numerous Robert Altman films, has died. She was 75.
The two-time Emmy nominee, who largely retreated from Hollywood in the late 1990s, died Thursday at her home in Blanco, Texas, of complications from diabetes. Her partner, Dan Gilroy, confirmed the news to The Associated Press and multiple news outlets, including The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, saying she died in her sleep.
“My dear, sweet, wonderful life partner and friend left us," Gilroy's statement said. "Too much suffering lately, now she’s free. Fly away, beautiful Shelley."
Shelley made her film debut in Altman's "Brewster McCloud" in 1970, continuing to work with the director throughout the decade on sprawling dramas such as "Nashville," "McCabe & Mrs. Miller" and "3 Women." But it was her role as Wendy Torrance, the fearful wife of Jack Nicholson's mad writer-turned-caretaker in horror classic "The Shining," that made her an iconic face to movie fans.
The actress, long recognized for her wide eyes and toothy grin, memorably appeared with Robin Williams as Olive Oyl in the infamous movie musical "Popeye," as well as Terry Gilliam's fantasy "Time Bandits," in the early 1980s. She became a driving force in children's TV programming, hosting the star-studded "Faerie Tale Theatre" for six seasons, along with "Tall Tales & Legends" and "Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories," all on Showtime. She was also a frequent host on "Saturday Night Live."
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After a two-decade break from film and TV acting, she made her final on-screen appearance in last year's horror movie "The Forest Hills," shooting her scenes entirely via FaceTime.
Duvall made headlines in 2016 for her heartbreaking appearance on “Dr. Phil,” in which she opened up about her struggles with mental illness. “I’m very sick. I need help,” she said in the interview. She went on to claim that her late “Popeye” co-star Williams, who died in 2014, was still alive and “shapeshifting.”
Although she was never nominated for an Oscar, Duvall received numerous prizes for her performance as Sissy Spacek’s free-spirited roommate in “3 Women,” winning best actress at the 1977 Cannes Film Festival, as well as similar honors from New York and Los Angeles critics. (Egregiously, she was nominated for worst actress for “The Shining” at the Razzie Awards, which the group rescinded in 2022.)
Born in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1949 to a real estate broker and cattle auctioneer-turned-attorney, Duvall was introduced to Altman at a party in 1970, while he was in the Lone Star State shooting “Brewster McCloud.” Drawn to her unique features and innate charisma, he cast her as a tour guide in the film, igniting her Hollywood career.
In a rare interview in 2021, Duvall opened up to The Hollywood Reporter about the grueling process of making “The Shining.” She teared up as she rewatched a scene in which a terrified Wendy swings a baseball bat at her violently deranged husband.
“Jack was so good − so damn scary,” Duvall said. “I can only imagine how many women go through this kind of thing.”
Nicknamed "the Texas Twiggy," Duvall was married for four years to artist Bernard Sampson before they divorced in 1974. She later dated musicians Paul Simon and Ringo Starr before meeting Gilroy, her life partner, in the late ‘80s.
In an interview with People magazine in February 2023, Duvall revealed that she hoped to continue acting, joking that Jessica Tandy "won an Oscar when she was 80." She added that she still watched her old films when she'd come across them on TV.
"On one channel there is 'Popeye' and another one 'The Shining,' " Duvall said. "Boy, those are two different films. But in a way it's like, 'Gosh, I was great.' "
Contributing: Brian Truitt