Shelley Duvall, the intrepid, Texas-born movie star whose wide-eyed, winsome presence was a mainstay in the films of Robert Altman and who co-starred in has died. She was 75.
Duvall died Thursday in her sleep at home in Blanco, Texas, her longtime partner, Dan Gilroy, announced. The cause was complications from diabetes, said her friend, the publicist Gary Springer.
鈥淢y dear, sweet, wonderful life, partner, and friend left us last night,鈥� Gilroy said in a statement. 鈥淭oo much suffering lately, now she鈥檚 free. Fly away beautiful Shelley.鈥�
Duvall was attending junior college in Texas when Altman鈥檚 crew members, preparing to film 鈥淏rewster McCloud,鈥� encountered her at a Houston party in 1970. They introduced the 20-year-old to the director, who cast her in 鈥淏rewster McCloud鈥� and made her his protege.
Duvall would go on to appear in Altman films including 鈥淭hieves Like Us,鈥� 鈥淣ashville,鈥� 鈥淧opeye,鈥� 鈥淭hree Women鈥� and 鈥淢cCabe & Mrs. Miller.鈥�
鈥淗e offers me damn good roles,鈥� Duvall told The New York Times in 1977. 鈥淣one of them have been alike. He has a great confidence in me, and a trust and respect for me, and he doesn鈥檛 put any restrictions on me or intimidate me, and I love him. I remember the first advice he ever gave me: 鈥楧on鈥檛 take yourself seriously.鈥欌��
Duvall, gaunt and gawky, was no conventional Hollywood starlet. But she had a beguilingly frank manner and exuded a singular naturalism. The film critic called her the 鈥渇emale Buster Keaton.鈥�
At her peak, Duvall was a regular star in some of the defining movies of the 1970s. In 鈥淭he Shining鈥� (1980), she played Wendy Torrance, who watches in horror as her husband, Jack goes crazy while their family is isolated in the It was Duvall鈥檚 screaming face that made up half of the film鈥檚 most iconic image, along with Jack鈥檚 axe coming through the door.
was notoriously hard on Duvall in making 鈥淭he Shining.鈥� His methods of pushing her through countless takes in the most anguished scenes took a toll on the actor. One scene was reportedly performed in 127 takes. The entire shoot took 13 months. Duvall, in a 1981 interview with People magazine, said she was crying 鈥�12 hours a day for weeks on end鈥� during the film鈥檚 production.
鈥淚 will never give that much again,鈥� said Duvall. 鈥淚f you want to get into pain and call it art, go ahead, but not with me.鈥�
Duvall disappeared from movies almost as quickly as she arrived in them. By the 1990s, she began retiring from acting and retreated from public life.
鈥淗ow would you feel if people were really nice, and then, suddenly, on a dime, they turn on you?鈥� Duvall told the Times earlier this year. 鈥淵ou would never believe it unless it happens to you. That鈥檚 why you get hurt, because you can鈥檛 really believe it鈥檚 true.鈥�
Duvall, the oldest of four, was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on July 7, 1949. Her father, Robert, was a cattle auctioneer before working in law and her mother, Bobbie, was a real estate agent.
Duvall married the artist Bernard Sampson in 1970. They divorced four years later. Duvall was in a long-term relationship with the in the late 鈥�70s after meeting during the making of 鈥淎nnie Hall.鈥� (Duvall played the rock critic who keeps declaring things 鈥渢ransplendent.鈥�) She also dated During the making of the 1990 Disney Channel movie 鈥淢other Goose Rock 鈥榥鈥� Roll,鈥� Duvall met the musician Dan Gilroy, of the group Breakfast Club, with whom she remained until her death.
Duvall鈥檚 run in the 1970s was remarkably versatile. In the rugged Western 鈥� (1971), she played the mail-order bride Ida. She was a groupie in 鈥淣ashville鈥� (1975) and Olive Oyl, opposite in 鈥淧opeye鈥� (1980). In 鈥�3 Women,鈥� co-starring and Janice Rule, Duvall played Millie Lammoreaux, a Palm Springs health spa worker, and won best actress at the
In the 1980s, Duvall produced and hosted a number of children鈥檚 TV series, among them 鈥淔aerie Tale Theatre,鈥� 鈥淭all Tales & Legends鈥� and 鈥淪helley Duvall鈥檚 Bedtime Stories.鈥�
Duvall moved back to Texas in the mid-1990s. Around 2002, after making the comedy 鈥淢anna from Heaven,鈥� she retreated from Hollywood completely. Her whereabouts became a favorite topic of internet sleuths. A favorite but incorrect theory was that it was residual trauma from the grueling shoot for 鈥淭he Shining.鈥� Another was that the damage to her home after was the last straw.
To those living in where Duvall lived for some 30 years, she was neither in 鈥渉iding鈥� nor a recluse. But her circumstances were a mystery to both the media and many of her old Hollywood friends. That changed in 2016, when producers for tracked her down and aired a controversial hourlong interview with her in which she spoke about her mental health issues. 鈥淚鈥檓 very sick. I need help,鈥� Duvall said on the program, for being exploitative.
鈥淚 found out the kind of person he is the hard way,鈥� Duvall told The Hollywood Reporter in 2021.
THR journalist Seth Abramovitch wrote at the time that he went on a pilgrimage to find her because 鈥渋t didn鈥檛 feel right for McGraw鈥檚 insensitive sideshow to be the final word on her legacy.鈥�
Duvall attempted to restart her career, dipping her toe in with the indie horror 鈥淭he Forest Hills鈥� that filmed in 2022 and premiered quietly in early 2023.
鈥淎cting again 鈥� it鈥檚 so much fun,鈥� Duvall told People at the time. 鈥淚t enriches your life.鈥�
