Shelley Duvall, the Texas-born actress known for her distinct on-screen presence in Robert Altman’s films and her role in Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining,” has passed away at the age of 75.
Duvall died peacefully in her sleep at her home in Blanco, Texas, as announced by her longtime partner, Dan Gilroy. The cause of death was complications from diabetes, according to her friend and publicist Gary Springer.
In a heartfelt statement, Gilroy said, “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 was discovered while attending a junior college in Texas when members of Altman’s crew met her at a party in Houston in 1970. They introduced her to the director, who cast her in “Brewster McCloud” and took her under his wing.
She went on to star in numerous Altman films, including “Thieves Like Us,” “Nashville,” “Popeye,” “Three Women,” and “McCabe & Mrs. Miller.”
“He offers me… good roles,” Duvall told The New York Times in 1977. “None of them have been alike. He has great confidence, trust, and respect for me, and he doesn’t put any restrictions on me or intimidate me. I love him. The first advice he ever gave me was: ‘Don’t take yourself seriously.’”
Duvall was known for her unconventional looks and natural charm, which earned her comparisons to the “female Buster Keaton,” according to film critic Pauline Kael.
During her peak, Duvall appeared in many notable films of the 1970s and 1980s. In “The Shining,” she portrayed Wendy Torrance, who witnesses her husband Jack’s (Jack Nicholson) descent into madness while their family is isolated in the Overlook Hotel. Her terrified expression, paired with Jack’s axe through the door, became one of the film’s most iconic images.
Duvall gradually stepped away from acting by the 1990s and made her final film appearance in 2002’s “Manna From Heaven.” She then retreated from public life, only giving her first interview in years earlier in 2023.
Reflecting on her experiences, Duvall told the Times, “How would you feel if people were really nice, and then, suddenly, on a dime” — she snapped her fingers — “they turn on you? You would never believe it unless it happens to you. That’s why you get hurt, because you can’t really believe it’s true.”