Shelley Duvall, known for her roles in “3 Women” and “The Shining,” passed away due to complications from diabetes on Thursday in Blanco, Texas. She was 75 years old.
“My dear, sweet, wonderful life, partner, and friend left us last night. Too much suffering lately, now she’s free. Fly away beautiful Shelley,” said Gilroy in a statement.
Shelley Duvall’s career flourished under director Robert Altman, starting with her debut in “Brewster McCloud.” She continued to feature in Altman’s notable films like “McCabe & Mrs. Miller,” “Thieves Like Us,” and the ensemble cast of “Nashville” in 1975.
Her standout performance in Altman’s “3 Women” earned her the Best Actress award at Cannes and a BAFTA nomination.
In addition to her work with Altman, Duvall portrayed a Rolling Stone journalist in Woody Allen’s “Annie Hall” in 1977, where she met and dated Paul Simon for two years.
Shelley Duvall’s unique qualities, including her distinctive eyes, suited her perfectly for roles like Olive Oyl in Robert Altman’s “Popeye” (1980).
Her memorable portrayal as a health spa worker in Altman’s “3 Women” caught Stanley Kubrick’s attention, leading him to cast her as Wendy Torrance in “The Shining.”
Kubrick’s demanding directing style pushed Duvall to extremes during the film’s extensive year-long shoot, with some scenes requiring over 100 takes to achieve his desired intensity and precision.
Years later, she talked about the difficult shoot.
“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. 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.’“
Shelley Duvall had a diverse career that included roles in Terry Gilliam’s “Time Bandits” and the comedy “Roxanne” alongside Steve Martin. In the 1980s, she produced several children’s anthology shows like “Faerie Tale Theatre,” “Tall Tales & Legends,” “Nightmare Classics,” and “Bedtime Stories.”
These series featured esteemed directors such as Tim Burton and Francis Ford Coppola, and starred notable guest actors like Robin Williams, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Laura Dern.
Originally from Ft. Worth, Texas, Duvall met Robert Altman at a party during the filming of “Brewster McCloud.”
After returning to Texas, she appeared in films like Steven Soderbergh’s “The Underneath” (1995) and Jane Campion’s “The Portrait of a Lady” (1996) before retiring from acting in 2002.
In recent years, Duvall lived a reclusive life but gained attention for a controversial appearance on “Dr. Phil” in 2016, which drew criticism for its handling of her mental health struggles.
Despite her private lifestyle, a 2021 interview, portrayed her as warmly remembered and respected in her community in the Texas Hill Country, where she reminisced fondly about her career.
Shelley Duvall returned to acting in 2023 after a long hiatus, appearing in the indie horror film “The Forest Hills,” although it was not widely distributed.
She is survived by her partner, musician Dan Gilroy, and her brothers Scott, Stewart, and Shane.
