In Memoriam: Shelley Duvall

Actress Shelley Duvall, who starred in The Shining and the Popeye movie, died on Thursday, July 11, 2024. She passed in her sleep from complications of diabetes, according to her life partner Dan Gilroy. She was 75 years old.

Duvall was easily recognizable for her wide, large dark eyes and wafer thin frame. In Stanley Kubrick’s film adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining, Duvall played tormented wife Wendy Torrance who tries to protect her son while watching her husband (played by Jack Nicholson) descend into violent madness. She was perfectly cast to bring cartoon character Olive Oyl to life in the Popeye movie, playing the strong-willed love interest of the titular sailor man played by Robin Williams.

She was born on July 7, 1949, in Fort Worth, Texas, and grew up in Houston. Duvall was studying research science and nutrition at South Texas Junior College in Houston when she was approached by director Robert Altman’s crew to audition for their next movie. Her film debut was in Altman’s Brewster McCloud in 1970. Throughout the ‘70s, she starred in several more films helmed by Altman, including McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Thieves Like Us, Nashville, Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson, and 3 Women.

Duvall was in Bernice Bobs Her Hair, Annie Hall, Time Bandits, Frankenweenie, Roxanne, Suburban Commando, The Portrait of a Lady, Changing Habits, Home Fries, and Manna from Heaven.

She recorded Sweet Dreams, a music album for children, in 1981 and then a year later, she launched, executive produced, narrated, and starred in Faerie Tale Theatre for Showtime. After that, Duvall created Tall Tales & Legends, an anthology series that adapted American folk tales. For both of her shows, Duvall sought famous actors to appear on them, including Robin Williams, Liza Minnelli, Mick Jagger, Eric Idle, Vanessa Redgrave, and Jeff Bridges. In 1987, she launched her own production company, Think Entertainment, creating children’s programming like Shelley Duvall’s Bedtime Stories, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, and Backfield in Motion.

Duvall left Hollywood in the early 2000s, returning to her native state of Texas. Then after 20 years away from the spotlight, she returned to acting in 2022 for The Forest Hills.