Shelley Duvall
Shelley Alexis Duvall (July 7, 1949 – July 11, 2024) was an American actress known for her portrayal of distinctive, often eccentric characters. She was the recipient of several accolades, including a Cannes Film Festival Award and a Peabody Award and nominations for a British Academy Film Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards. Born in Texas, Duvall began acting after being discovered by director Robert Altman, who was impressed with her upbeat presence and cast her in the black comedy film Brewster McCloud (1970). Despite her hesitance towards becoming an actress, she continued to work with Altman, appearing in McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) and Thieves Like Us (1974). Her breakthrough came with Altman's cult film Nashville (1975), and she earned widespread acclaim with the drama 3 Women (1977), also directed by Altman, for which she won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress and earned a nomination for the British Academy Film Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. That same year, she appeared in a supporting role (as a writer for Rolling Stone) in Woody Allen's satirical romantic comedy Annie Hall (1977) and hosted Saturday Night Live. In the 1980s, Duvall became famous for her leading roles, which include Olive Oyl in Altman's live-action feature version of Popeye (1980) and Wendy Torrance in Stanley Kubrick's horror film The Shining (1980). She appeared in Terry Gilliam's fantasy film Time Bandits (1981), the short comedy horror film Frankenweenie (1984), and the comedy Roxanne (1987). She ventured into producing television programming aimed at children and youth in the latter half of the 1980s, notably creating and hosting the programs Faerie Tale Theatre (1982–1987), Tall Tales & Legends (1985–1987) (which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 1988), and Nightmare Classics (1989). Duvall sporadically worked in acting throughout the 1990s, notably playing supporting roles in Steven Soderbergh's thriller The Underneath (1995) and the Henry James adaptation The Portrait of a Lady (1996), directed by Jane Campion. Her last performance was in Manna from Heaven (2002), after which she retired from acting. Duvall for many years kept out of the public media, keeping her personal life generally private; however, her health issues earned significant media coverage. After a 21-year hiatus from acting, Duvall returned to acting in the horror film The Forest Hills. She died due to complications from diabetes at her home in Blanco, southwest of Austin, Texas.
Filmography · 98
Frasier
1993 · Caroline (voice)
Saturday Night Live
1975 · Self - Host
L.A. Law
1986 · Margo Stanton
The Shining
1980 · Wendy Torrance
Cannon
1971 · Liz Christie
The Twilight Zone
1985 · Margaret (segment "A S...
Spécial cinéma
1974 · Self
Aaahh!!! Real Monsters
1994 · Ocka (voice)
The Hughleys
1998 · Mrs. Crump
The Ray Bradbury Theater
1985 · Leota Bean
Faerie Tale Theatre
1982 · The Miller's Daughter
Fridays
1980 · Self
Wishbone
1995 · Renee Lassiter
Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories
1992 · Shelley Duvall
Annie Hall
1977 · Pam
Popeye
1980 · Olive Oyl
Tall Tales & Legends
1985 · Self - Host
Time Bandits
1981 · Dame Pansy / Pansy
The Adventures of Shirley Holmes
1997 · Alice Flitt
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
1971 · Ida Coyle
Roxanne
1987 · Dixie
The Portrait of a Lady
1996 · Countess Gemini
Nashville
1975 · L.A. Joan
Casper Meets Wendy
1998 · Gabby
RocketMan
1997 · Mrs. Randall (uncredit...
Suburban Commando
1991 · Jenny Wilcox
Home Fries
1998 · Mrs. Jackson
Russell Mulcahy’s Tale of the Mummy
1998 · Edith Butros
3 Women
1977 · Mildred "Millie" Lammo...
The Underneath
1995 · Nurse
Kubrick by Kubrick
2020 · Self (archive footage)
Brewster McCloud
1971 · Suzanne
Thieves Like Us
1974 · Keechie
The 4th Floor
1999 · Martha Stewart
Frankenweenie
1984 · Susan Frankenstein
Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson
1976 · The First Lady (Mrs. C...
Big Monster on Campus
1998 · Mrs. Stein
Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures
2001 · Self
Pinocchio
1984 · Self - Host (uncredite...
The Secret World of the Very Young
1984
The Chipmunks Rockin' Through The Decades
1990 · Self
Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme
1990 · Little Bo Peep
Manna from Heaven
2002 · Detective Dubrinski
Rapunzel
1983 · Rapunzel / Marie, Rapu...
Bernice Bobs Her Hair
1976 · Bernice
Faerie Tale Theatre: Rip Van Winkle
1987 · Self - Host (uncredite...
Shadow Zone: My Teacher Ate My Homework
1997 · Mrs. Fink
Cinderella
1985 · Self - Host
Ponce de Leon
1986 · Self / Host
The Nightingale
1983 · Nightingale (voice) /...
Sleeping Beauty
1983 · Self - Host (uncredite...
The Princess Who Had Never Laughed
1986 · Self - Host
Making 'The Shining'
1980 · Self
The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers
1984 · Self - Host (uncredite...
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Dan Aykroyd
2005 · Bad Ballet Dancer (arc...
Pecos Bill
1986 · Self / Host
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
1985 · Self / Host
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
1984 · Snow White's Mother /...
Twilight Theatre
1982
Frog
1987 · Mrs. Anderson
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
1984 · Self - Host (uncredite...
Johnny Appleseed
1986 · Self / Host
Beauty and the Beast
1984 · Self - Host (uncredite...
The Tale of the Frog Prince
1982 · Self - Host (uncredite...
Frogs!
1991 · Annie
The Pied Piper of Hamelin
1985 · Self - Host
Alone
1997 · Estelle
The Dancing Princesses
1987 · Self - Host
The Little Mermaid
1987 · Self - Host
Changing Habits
1997 · Sister Agatha
Puss in Boots
1985 · Self - Host / Narrator
Hansel and Gretel
1983 · Self - Host (uncredite...
Thumbelina
1984 · Self - Host (uncredite...
The Snow Queen
1985 · Host / Narrator (voice...
The Fairest of Them All
1983 · Self
Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp
1986 · Self - Host
Annie Oakley
1985 · The Host
Robert Altman: Giggle And Give In
1996 · Self
Guy Maddin: Waiting for Twilight
1997 · Self
Shine On: The Forgotten Shining Location
2024 · Self (archive footage)
The Paul Simon Special
1977 · Joan of Arc
Jack and the Beanstalk
1983 · Self - Host (uncredite...
Twilight of the Ice Nymphs
1997 · Amelia Glahn
Hello, I'm Shelley Duvall
— · Self
Darlin' Clementine
1986 · Self / Host / Clementi...
The Emperor's New Clothes
1985 · Self - Host
John Henry
1986 · Self / Host
Little Red Riding Hood
1983 · Self - Host (uncredite...
Aliens for Breakfast
1994 · Teacher
Rumpelstiltskin
1982 · The Miller's Daughter...
The Princess and the Pea
1984 · Self - Host (uncredite...
Lily
1986 · Lily Miniver
Davy Crockett
1986 · Self / Host
Mr. Bill's Real Life Adventures
1986 · Self
Casey at the Bat
1986 · Host
Dreams in the Attic
2000 · Aunt Nellie
Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories: The Christmas Witch
1994 · Host
Earthquake Survival
1988 · Self