Shelley Duvall, the actress best known for her performance in the psychological horror film The Shining, has died at the age of 75. She is remembered for her iconic scene where her screaming face is next to an axe-wielding Jack Nicholson smashing through a door.
Duvall also starred in Popeye alongside Robin Williams and Annie Hall by Woody Allen, frequently collaborating with filmmaker Robert Altman.
Duvall passed away in her sleep at her home in Blanco, Texas, having been in hospice care due to complications from diabetes. Her partner, Dan Gilroy, expressed his sorrow and noted the supportive community around them. The couple had been together for 34 years.
Duvall’s career began when she met Altman’s crew at a party in Houston in 1970, leading to her casting in Brewster McCloud and subsequent work in seven of his films, including Popeye.
She gained widespread recognition in Altman’s films Nashville and 3 Women, winning the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival for the latter.
She also starred in The Portrait of a Lady alongside Nicole Kidman and John Malkovich.
Her most iconic role was as Wendy Torrance in The Shining, where she portrayed a terror-stricken wife and mother. The filming process was notoriously difficult, with director Stanley Kubrick demanding numerous takes, leading to significant emotional strain for Duvall.
Despite her unconventional looks often being commented on, Duvall was praised for her natural and captivating screen presence. Film critic Pauline Kael called her the “female Buster Keaton,” and Altman saw her as a muse who could embody a wide range of emotions and roles.
Beyond acting, Duvall ventured into production in the late 1980s and ’90s, creating the children’s television series Faerie Tale Theatre, which earned several awards.
She also created Shelley Duvall’s Tall Tales & Legends. In the mid-1990s, she returned to Texas and largely retreated from Hollywood, making a brief return to acting last year in the horror film Forest Hills.
