Actress Shelley Duvall, famously known for her intense performance as Wendy Torrance in The Shining, has died at the age of 75. Her beloved partner Dan Gilroy confirmed the news to Variety in a brief statement. “My dear, sweet, wonderful life, partner, and friend left us last night,” said Gilroy. “Too much suffering lately, now she’s free. Fly away beautiful Shelley.”
A Texas native, Duvall’s effervescent personality caught the attention of director Robert Altman in the early 1970s. She came out swinging with a beguiling performance as Suzanne Davis in the dark comedy Brewster McCloud (1970). Shelley made a string of appearances in Altman’s films, including Thieves Like Us (1974), Nashville (1975), and 3 Women (1977). The latter garnered Duvall a Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress as well as a BAFTA nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
The doe-eyed thespian with an enigmatic smile and svelte frame made the perfect choice for her (criminally underrated) role as Olive Oyl in Atlman’s Popeye movie alongside Robin Williams. But it is her turn in The Shining (1980), complete with all its behind-the-scenes controversy, that often causes conversations about respect, compassion, and the unfair treatment of women in the workforce and society at large—all still painfully relevant over 40 years after this film’s release.
Some wish to reimagine Shelley’s post-Shining career as one that waned into despair, but reality begs to differ. She was the narrator, host, and executive producer of Faerie Tale Theater (1982), a children’s program and also starred in the Steve Martin-led comedy Roxanne (1987). She had an affinity for developing and producing children’s content, perhaps a reflection of her vibrant spirit and forever youthful gaze.
Duvall appeared in a variety of roles throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, including The Portrait of a Lady (1996), Boltneck (2000), and the (very good) Twilight of the Ice Nymphs (1997). After moving back to Texas, she took a 20-year hiatus from acting and public life, only making occasional appearances. Her outspokenness about her experiences in Hollywood—both happy and heartbreaking—and pride in her career were constant and candid, even at times when Duvall seemed exceptionally vulnerable.
What stands above any controversy and speculation is Shelley Duvall’s undeniable talent. She could exude palpable fear, childlike joy, captivating eccentricism, knife-sharp wit, and teary-eyed heartbreak on command because she, simply put, had the “It factor” that many actresses only dream of possessing. Her work is a treasure trove for cinephiles to discover as her spirit flies with the wind. Rest easy, Ms. Shelley Duvall.
