Popular American actress, Shelley Duvall has passed away at the age of 75. Duvall is well known for her role in the American horror blockbuster “The Shining.”

Duvall became well known after her portrayal of Wendy Torrance in the 1980 movie adaptation of Stephen King’s 1977 book of that same title. Torrance was the wife of Jack Torrance, an axe-wielding maniac in the Stanley Kubrick movie adaptation. Duvall was cast in seven of the movies directed by the late Robert Altman. Additionally, Duvall starred in the 1996 movie “The Portrait of a Lady” directed by Jane Campion. 

Shelley Duvall’s Cause of Death

Duvall’s death was announced by her partner, Dan Gilroy, who confirmed she passed away on July 11, 2024. According to Gilroy, Duvall died in her sleep following complications from her diabetes. Gilroy said in the announcement “My dear, sweet, wonderful life partner and friend left us. Too much suffering lately, now she’s free. Fly away, beautiful Shelley,” 

 Shelley Duvall Movies and TV Shows

Duvall was born on July 7, 1949 in Fort Worth, Texas. Duvall entered the movie business under the mentorship of Altman, who was a film director and screenwriter. At the time of Duvall and Altman, he was in the production process of the 1970 fantasy comedy Brewster McCloud.

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Duvall was very impressionable by several of the crew members, who took a liking to her personality. Subsequently, a year later she was invited to portray a film character which she accepted and performed. In 1971 she made her movie debut portraying the character of Ida Coyle in the western action McCabe & Mrs Miller which was directed by Altman.

However, it took another 3 years before she was cast in another movie. In 1974, Duvall starred in Thieves Like Us, playing the character Keechie in the crime/romance film. However, her big break came in 1975, after she was cast as L.A. Joan in the Altman music comedy Nashville.

In 1977, Duvall played the role of Millie Lammoreaux in Altman’s psychological drama 3 Women. The role secured the award for Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival. Duvall was also nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars for her portrayal of the character. 

Additionally, Duvall played several supporting roles, such as her role as Pam in the 1977 rom-com, Annie Hall. In the 1980s, Duvall was cast in Altman’s live-action Popeye, portraying the character of Olive Oyl.

Shelley Duvall Speaks on Her Relationship With Robert Altman?

In 1977, Duvall spoke about her professional relationship with Altman, which was full of praise. Duvall said that Altman always offers her amazing roles, with no two characters being the same. Duvall continued that Alterman has great confidence and trust in her.

Additionally, Duvall stated that Altman respects her and doesn’t limit or intimidate her. She ended her answer with the fact that she had nothing but love for him.

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Shelley Duvall Age in the Shining

However, Duvall’s most challenging role came in her portrayal of Wendy Torrance in Kubrick’s The Shining.  When the movie premiered in 1980, Duvall was 31 years old, although during the film in 1979, she was 30 years old. Following rumors resulting from Kubrick’s need for perfection, Duvall’s on-set struggles during the year-long film shoot have persisted.

To make the hostility between the lead actors, Jack Nicholson and Duvall, more realistic, it said that Kubrick would annoy and isolate them. According to reports, the infamous scene where Duvall frantically runs away from Nicholson while holding a bat was filmed a record 127 times.

Duvall found the movie-making process excruciating, especially the challenge of maintaining hysteria for a long time. She mentioned that the experience came with mixed feelings, and overall was quite nice. However, Duvall has numerous denied rumors of her struggling with acting after filming The Shining.

What Happened to Shelley Duvall?

Duvall was a producer and key figure in the development of the 1982 children’s TV program Faerie Tale Theatre, both on and off camera. In 1985, she created Tall Tales & Legends, and three years later, founded Think Entertainment to develop programs and TV movies for cable channels.

Duvall officially retired from the movie business in 2002; however, she came out of retirement in 2023 for the horror-thriller, The Forest Hills. During her appearance on an episode of Dr. Phil in 2016, Duvall talked about her experiences with mental health. Many people denounced the interview for being “exploitative.”

Shelley Duvall’s Children and Relationships.

Duvall got married in 1970 to artist Bernard Sampson, before divorcing four years later, in 1974. Duvall stayed single for almost 10 years before entering a relationship with Gilroy in 1989. The couple maintained a partnership till her passing in 2024, they resided in Texas.

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Additionally, Duvall dated musician Paul Simon after they met on the set of Annie Hall. However, the relationship ended in 1978 after Duvall introduced Simon to Carrie Fisher. Duvall did not have any children with either Sampson or Gilroy. 

Are Shelley Duvall and Mia Goth Related?

One prominent question that has been on the minds of movie enthusiasts in 2024 is whether Duvall and Mia Goth are related. Goth is a British actress who shares facial and body similarities with a young Duvall. Consequently, fans of Duvall suggest that Goth should play Duvall in any biopic of the late actress.

However, responding to the question, Goth took to Tik Tok to address the question. Goth said, “As far as I know, I am not related to Shelly Devol, even though that would be so cool.”

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