Shelley Duvall, the wide-eyed performer celebrated for her role in Robert Altman’s “3 Women” and her enduring performance in Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining,” passed away on Thursday in Blanco, Texas, due to complications from diabetes. She was 75.
Her partner, Dan Gilroy, confirmed the news, stating, “My dear, sweet, wonderful life partner and friend left us last night. Too much suffering lately, now she’s free. Fly away beautiful Shelley.”
Duvall made her screen debut in Altman’s “Brewster McCloud” and subsequently appeared in his films “McCabe & Mrs. Miller” and “Thieves Like Us.” She gained significant attention in the ensemble cast of Altman’s “Nashville” in 1975. This led to her casting in “Buffalo Bill and the Indians” and her award-winning role in “3 Women,” for which she received the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress and a BAFTA nomination.
In 1977, Duvall appeared as a Rolling Stone journalist in Woody Allen’s “Annie Hall” and dated Paul Simon for two years after meeting him on set.
Duvall’s role as Olive Oyl in Altman’s “Popeye” in 1980 seemed tailor-made for her. Her chilling performance in “3 Women” influenced Kubrick to cast her as Wendy Torrance in “The Shining.” The intense filming required over a year, with Kubrick’s demanding direction pushing Duvall to her limits, sometimes necessitating over 100 takes for some scenes.
Reflecting on the experience, Duvall told 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. 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.”
Her other notable roles included Terry Gilliam’s “Time Bandits” and the comedy “Roxanne” with Steve Martin. In the 1980s, Duvall produced a series of children’s anthology shows, such as “Faerie Tale Theatre,” “Tall Tales & Legends,” “Nightmare Classics,” and “Bedtime Stories,” featuring renowned directors and stars.
Born in Ft. Worth, Texas, Duvall met Altman at a party while he was filming “Brewster McCloud” in Texas. After returning to Texas, she appeared in Steven Soderbergh’s “The Underneath” in 1995 and Jane Campion’s “The Portrait of a Lady” in 1996 before retiring from acting in 2002.
Despite leading a reclusive life, her appearance on “Dr. Phil” in 2016 received criticism for sensationalizing her mental health struggles. In 2021, a Hollywood Reporter interview revealed her happy to reminisce about her career and fondly regarded in her Texas Hill Country community.
In 2023, Duvall returned to acting in the indie horror movie “The Forest Hills,” although it was not widely available.
She is survived by her partner, musician Dan Gilroy, and her brothers, Scott, Stewart, and Shane.