Shelley Alexis Duvall (born July 7, 1949) is an American actress and producer who is known for her portrayals of distinct, often eccentric characters. She is the recipient of several accolades, including a Cannes Film Festival Award and a Peabody Award, and nominations for a

British Academy Film Award The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTA Film Awards is an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to film. The cere ...

and two Primetime Emmy Awards. Born in

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

, 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 A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the old ...

Brewster McCloud ''Brewster McCloud'' is a 1970 American black comedy film directed by Robert Altman. The film follows a young recluse (Bud Cort, as the title character) who lives in a fallout shelter of the Houston Astrodome, where he is building a pair of wing ...

'' (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 The Best Actress Award (french: Prix d'interprétation féminine) is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival since 1946. It is given to an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance and chosen by the jury from the films in officia ...

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 ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'') in

Woody Allen Heywood "Woody" Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American film director, writer, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades and multiple Academy Award-winning films. He began his career writing ...

's satirical romantic comedy ''

Annie Hall ''Annie Hall'' is a 1977 American satirical romantic comedy-drama film directed by Woody Allen from a screenplay written by him and Marshall Brickman, and produced by Allen's manager, Charles H. Joffe. The film stars Allen as Alvy Singer, w ...

'' (1977) and hosted ''

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. ...

''. In the 1980s, Duvall became famous for her leading roles, which include

Olive Oyl Olive Oyl is a cartoon character created by E. C. Segar in 1919 for his comic strip ''Thimble Theatre''. The strip was later renamed '' Popeye'' after the sailor character that became the most popular member of the cast; however, Olive Oyl was ...

in Altman's live-active feature version of ''

Popeye Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by Elzie Crisler Segar.Stanley Kubrick's horror film '' The Shining'' (1980) as protagonist

Wendy Torrance Winnifred "Wendy" Torrance is a fictional character and protagonist of the 1977 horror novel '' The Shining'' by the American writer Stephen King. She also appears in the prologue of '' Doctor Sleep'', a 2013 sequel to ''The Shining''. Character ...

. She initially received negative reviews for her performance in the latter, but received widespread acclaim for it in the decades following its release. She appeared in

Terry Gilliam Terrence Vance Gilliam (; born 22 November 1940) is an American-born British filmmaker, comedian, animator, actor and former member of the Monty Python comedy troupe. Gilliam has directed 13 feature films, including '' Time Bandits'' (1981), '' ...

's fantasy film ''

Time Bandits ''Time Bandits'' is a 1981 British fantasy adventure film co-written, produced, and directed by Terry Gilliam. It stars Sean Connery, John Cleese, Shelley Duvall, Ralph Richardson, Katherine Helmond, Ian Holm, Michael Palin, Peter Vaug ...

'' (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 Faerie Tale Theatre (also known as Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre) is an American live-action fairytale fantasy drama anthology television series of 27 episodes, that originally aired on Showtime from September 11, 1982 until November 14, ...

'' (1982–1987), '' Tall Tales & Legends'' (1985–1987) which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 1988, and ''

Nightmare Classics ''Nightmare Classics'' (also known as ''Shelley Duvall's Nightmare Classics'') is an American horror anthology television series created, produced and executive produced by Shelley Duvall featuring adaptations of well-known horror stories by aut ...

'' (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 Henry James ( – ) was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the ...

adaptation '' The Portrait of a Lady'' (1996), directed by

Jane Campion Dame Elizabeth Jane Campion (born 30 April 1954) is a New Zealand filmmaker. She is best known for writing and directing the critically acclaimed films ''The Piano'' (1993) and '' The Power of the Dog'' (2021), for which she has received a tot ...

. 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 20-year hiatus from acting, Duvall is set to return to act in an upcoming horror film titled, ''The Forest Hills''.

Early life

Shelley Alexis Duvall was born on July 7, 1949, in

Fort Worth, Texas Fort Worth is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Texas and the 13th-largest city in the United States. It is the county seat of Tarrant County, covering nearly into four other counties: Denton, Johnson, Parker, and Wise. Accord ...

, the first child of Bobbie Ruth Crawford ('' née'' Massengale, 1929–2020), a real estate broker, and Robert Richardson "Bobby" Duvall (1919–1994), a cattle auctioneer-turned-lawyer (not to be confused with actor

Robert Duvall Robert Selden Duvall (; born January 5, 1931) is an American actor and filmmaker. His career spans more than seven decades and he is considered one of the greatest American actors of all time. He is the recipient of an Academy Award, four Gold ...

, to whom Shelley is not closely related). Duvall has three younger brothers: Scott, Shane, and Stewart. Duvall spent her first years living in various locations throughout Texas due to her father's work, before the family settled in

Houston Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 i ...

when she was five years old. Duvall was an artistic and energetic young child, eventually earning the nickname "Manic Mouse" from her mother. She also became interested in science at a young age, and as a teenager aspired to become a scientist. After graduating from

Waltrip High School Stephen Pool Waltrip High School is a public high school located at 1900 West 34th Street in Houston, Texas, United States, 77018. Waltrip, which serves grades 9 through 12, is a part of the Houston Independent School District. Waltrip has Hou ...

in 1967, Duvall sold cosmetics at

Foley's Foley's was a chain of department stores owned by May Department Stores and headquartered in Downtown Houston, Texas. On August 30, 2005, the division was dissolved and operation of the stores was assumed by Federated's Macy's West and Macy's ...

and attended

South Texas Junior College South Texas Junior College (STJC) was a junior college located in Houston, Texas ( USA). The YMCA opened STJC in 1948 and operated the two-year coeducational liberal arts school; no tax money supported the school. The YMCA pioneered the con ...

, where she majored in nutrition and diet therapy.

Career

1970–1976: Early roles

Around 1970, she met Robert Altman at a party while he was shooting ''

'' (1970) on location in Texas. Several crew members on the film were fascinated by Duvall's upbeat presence and unique physical appearance, and asked her to be part of the feature. Duvall reflected on committing to the project: "I got tired of arguing, and thought maybe I am an actress. They told me to come. I simply got on a plane and did it. I was swept away." Duvall had never left Texas before Altman offered her a role. She flew to Hollywood and subsequently appeared in the film as the free-spirited love interest to

Bud Cort Walter Edward Cox, known professionally as Bud Cort, is an American actor and comedian, known for his portrayals of Harold in Hal Ashby's film ''Harold and Maude'' (1971) and the eponymous hero in Robert Altman's film '' Brewster McCloud'' (19 ...

's reclusive Brewster. Keith Carradine and Shelley Duvall – Nashville

Altman subsequently chose Duvall for roles as an unsatisfied mail-order bride in '' McCabe & Mrs. Miller'' (1971), and the daughter of a convict and mistress to

Keith Carradine Keith Ian Carradine ( ; born August 8, 1949) is an American actor who has had success on stage, film, and television. He is known for his roles as Tom Frank in Robert Altman's film ''Nashville'', Wild Bill Hickok in the HBO series '' Deadwood ...

's character in '' Thieves Like Us'' (1974). Duvall appeared as a spaced-out

groupie The term groupie is a slang word that refers to a fan of a particular musical group who follows the band around while they are on tour or who attends as many of their public appearances as possible, with the hope of meeting them. The term is us ...

in Altman's ensemble comedy '' Nashville'' (1975), which was a critical and commercial success, and a sympathetic

Wild West The American frontier, also known as the Old West or the Wild West, encompasses the geography, history, folklore, and culture associated with the forward wave of American expansion in mainland North America that began with European colonial ...

woman in '' Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson'' (1976). The same year, Duvall left Altman to star as Bernice, a wealthy girl from

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...

's adaptation of

F. Scott Fitzgerald Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940) was an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. He is best known for his novels depicting the flamboyance and excess of the Jazz Age—a term he popularize ...

's short story ''

Bernice Bobs Her Hair "Bernice Bobs Her Hair" is a short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It was first published in May 1920 in the '' Saturday Evening Post''. The original publication was illustrated by May Wilson Preston. The work later appeared in the September 192 ...

'' (1976). She also hosted an evening of ''

'' and appeared in five sketches: "Programming Change", "Video Vixens", "Night of the Moonies", "Van Arguments" and "Goodnights".

1977–1980: Breakthrough and acclaim

In 1977, Duvall starred as Mildred "Millie" Lammoreaux in Robert Altman's psychological thriller '' 3 Women'', portraying a woman living in a dreary California desert town. Although there was a written screenplay, Duvall, like other cast members,

improvised Improvisation is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. Improvisation in the performing arts is a very spontaneous performance without specific or scripted preparation. The skills of impr ...

many of her lines. In spite of the film not being a major box-office success, it received critical acclaim, and Duvall's performance was lauded by critics. ''

Texas Monthly ''Texas Monthly'' (stylized as ''TexasMonthly'') is a monthly American magazine headquartered in Downtown Austin, Texas. ''Texas Monthly'' was founded in 1973 by Michael R. Levy and has been published by Emmis Publishing, L.P. since 1998 and is ...

'' critics Marie Brenner and Jesse Kornbluth praised Duvall for giving an "extraordinary performance". Her performance garnered the award for

Best Actress Best Actress is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organisations, festivals, and people's awards to leading actresses in a film, television series, television film or play. The first Best Actress aw ...

at the

1977 Cannes Film Festival The 30th Cannes Film Festival was held from 13 to 27 May 1977. The Palme d'Or went to the ''Padre Padrone'' by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani. A new non-competitive section, "Le Passé composé", is held at this festival only and focuses on compilatio ...

and the LAFCA Award for Best Actress, as well as a BAFTA nomination. She next appeared in a minor role in

's ''

'' (1977). Shelley Duvall Bernice Bobs Her Hair 1977

Duvall's next role was that of

in '' The Shining'' (1980), directed by Stanley Kubrick.

Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. In many of his films, he played rebels against the social structure. He received numerous ...

states in the documentary '' Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures'' that Kubrick was great to work with but that he was "a different director" with Duvall. Because of Kubrick's methodical nature,

principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as a ...

took a year to complete. The film's script was changed so often that Nicholson stopped reading each draft. Kubrick antagonized his actors, and Kubrick and Duvall argued frequently. Kubrick intentionally isolated Duvall, and went through exhausting shoots, such as the baseball bat scene, which she had performed 127 times. Afterwards, Duvall presented Kubrick with clumps of hair that had fallen out due to the extreme stress of filming. In an interview with Roger Ebert, she said making the film was "Almost unbearable. But from other points of view, really very nice, I suppose." Reception of Duvall's performance in ''The Shining'' was initially negative, earning the actress a Golden Raspberry nomination, however in retrospect she received widespread acclaim for her portrayal, and Maureen Murphy, co-founder of the Golden Raspberries, stated that she regretted giving Duvall a nomination. On March 31, 2022, the Razzie committee officially rescinded Duvall's nomination, stating "We have since discovered that Duvall's performance was impacted by Stanley Kubrick's treatment of her throughout the production."Razzie Awards Backtrack, Rescind Bruce Willis Award – and Shelley Duvall Nomination as Well
''

The Wrap ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

''. Retrieved April 1, 2022. On Duvall's performance, ''

Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...

'' wrote in 2019: "looking into Duvall's huge eyes from the front row of a theater, I found myself riveted by a very poignant form of fear. Not the fear of an actor out of her element, or the more mundane fear of a victim being chased around by an ax-wielding maniac. Rather, it was something far more disquieting, and familiar: the fear of a wife who's experienced her husband at his worst, and is terrified that she'll experience it again." Media site '' Screen Rant'' described her acting as her "best" career performance, and calling her "the heart of the film; she is out of her depth in dealing with her husband's looming insanity while trying to protect her young son, all while being fearful of the malevolence around her." While Duvall was in London shooting ''The Shining'', Robert Altman cast her to portray

in his big-screen adaptation of ''

Popeye Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by Elzie Crisler Segar.Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and come ...

. The film was a commercial success, but it received negative reviews. However, Duvall was praised for her performance. The film has been positively re-evaluated in the decades since its release. Film critic Roger Ebert stated that it was a role she was "born to play": "Shelley Duvall is like a precious piece of china with a tinkling personality. She looks and sounds like almost nobody else, and if it is true that she was born to play the character Olive Oyl (and does so in Altman's new musical ''Popeye''), it is also true that she has possibly played more really different kinds of characters than almost any other young actress of the 1970s."

1981–1992: Production ventures

Duvall's role of Pansy in

's ''

'' (1981) followed. Shortly before the release of the film, it was reported that Duvall and actor Stanley Wilson (who portrayed the town barber in ''Popeye'') were set to marry. However, no further reports were released regarding this. In 1982, Duvall narrated, hosted and was executive producer of the children's television program ''

''. She starred in seven episodes of the series; "

Rumpelstiltskin "Rumpelstiltskin" ( ; german: Rumpelstilzchen) is a German fairy tale. It was collected by the Brothers Grimm in the 1812 edition of '' Children's and Household Tales''. The story is about a little imp who spins straw into gold in exchange for a ...

" (1982), "

Rapunzel "Rapunzel" ( , ) is a German fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm and first published in 1812 as part of '' Children's and Household Tales'' (KHM 12). The Brothers Grimm's story developed from the French literary fairy tale of '' Persinet ...

" (1983), " The Nightingale" (1983), "

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'' and numbered as T ...

" (1984), "

Puss in Boots "Puss in Boots" ( it, Il gatto con gli stivali) is an Italian fairy tale, later spread throughout the rest of Europe, about an anthropomorphic cat who uses trickery and deceit to gain power, wealth, and the hand of a princess in marriage for ...

" (1985), and " Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp" (1986). Since the program's first episode "

The Frog Prince "The Frog Prince; or, Iron Henry" (german: Der Froschkönig oder der eiserne Heinrich, literally "The Frog King or the Iron Henry") is a German fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812 in ''Grimm's Fairy Tales'' (KHM 1). ...

", which starred

Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and come ...

and

Teri Garr Teri Ann Garr (born December 11, 1944) is an American former actress, dancer, and comedian. She frequently appeared in comedic roles throughout her career, which spans four decades and includes over 140 credits in film and television. Her accola ...

, Duvall produced 27 hour-long episodes of the program. In 1985, she created '' Tall Tales & Legends'', another one-hour anthology series for Showtime, which featured adaptations of American folk tales. As with ''Faerie Tale Theatre'', the series starred well-known Hollywood actors with Duvall as host, executive producer, and occasional guest star. The series ran for nine episodes and garnered Duvall an Emmy nomination. While Duvall was producing ''Faerie Tale Theatre'', it was reported that she was to star as the lead in the film adaptation of

Tom Robbins Thomas Eugene Robbins (born July 22, 1932) is a best-selling and prolific American novelist. His most notable works are "seriocomedies" (also known as "comedy drama"), such as ''Even Cowgirls Get the Blues''. Tom Robbins has lived in La Conner ...

’s '' Even Cowgirls Get the Blues'', which was to star

Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...

Jerry Hall Jerry Faye Hall (born July 2, 1956) is an American model and actress. She began modelling in the 1970s and became one of the most sought after models in the world. She transitioned into acting, appearing in the 1989 film '' Batman''. Hall was t ...

, Cindy Hall and

Sissy Spacek Mary Elizabeth Spacek (; born December 25, 1949) is an American actress and singer. She is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, three Golden Globe Awards, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and nominations for four Britis ...

. The project was delayed and when finally released in 1993, starred an entirely different cast. She also landed roles in films and television series: the mother of a boy whose dog is struck by car in

Tim Burton Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and animator. He is known for his gothic fantasy and horror films such as '' Beetlejuice'' (1988), '' Edward Scissorhands'' (1990), '' The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (1993 ...

's short film '' Frankenweenie'' (1984), and as Laura Burroughs in '' Booker'' (also 1984), a biographical television short based on the life of

Booker T. Washington Booker Taliaferro Washington (April 5, 1856November 14, 1915) was an American educator, author, orator, and adviser to several presidents of the United States. Between 1890 and 1915, Washington was the dominant leader in the African-American c ...

, directed by Stan Lathan. Next, Duvall appeared as a lonely and timid woman who receives a message from a flying saucer in ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, sup ...

'' episode "The Once and Future King/ A Saucer of Loneliness", and the friend of

Steve Martin Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician. He has won five Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and was awarded an Honorary Academy Award in 2013. Additionally, he was nominate ...

's character in the comedy '' Roxanne'' (1987).

Think Entertainment

In 1988, Duvall founded a new production company called Think Entertainment to develop programs and television movies for cable channels. She created ''

'' (1989), a third Showtime anthology series that featured adaptations of well-known horror stories by authors including

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wid ...

. Unlike the previous two series, ''Nightmare Classics'' was aimed at a teenage and adult audience. It was the least successful series that Duvall produced for Showtime and ran for only four episodes. In 1991, Duvall portrayed Jenny Wilcox, the wife of Charlie Wilcox (

Christopher Lloyd Christopher Allen Lloyd (born October 22, 1938) is an American actor. He has appeared in many theater productions, films, and on television since the 1960s. He is known for portraying Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown in the ''Back to the Future'' tril ...

) in the Hulk Hogan action-adventure film '' Suburban Commando''. In October that year, Duvall released two compact discs, ''Hello, I'm Shelley Duvall... Sweet Dreams'' that features Duvall singing lullaby songs and ''Hello, I'm Shelley Duvall... Merry Christmas'', on which Duvall sings Christmas songs. A year later, Duvall landed a guest spot on the television series ''

L.A. Law ''L.A. Law'' is an American legal drama television series that ran for eight seasons on NBC, from September 15, 1986, to May 19, 1994. Created by Steven Bochco and Terry Louise Fisher, it centers on the partners, associates and staff of a Los ...

'' as Margo Stanton, a

show dog A show dog might refer to any dog entered into a dog show. More specifically, a ''show dog'' is a dog which has been specially bred, trained, and/or groomed to conform to the specifications of dog shows, so as to have a chance of winning. Often ...

owner and breeder who presses charges against the owner of a

Welsh Corgi The Welsh Corgi ( or Corgi, plural Corgis, or occasionally the etymologically consistent Corgwn; ) is a small type of herding dog that originated in Wales. The name ''corgi'' is derived from the Welsh words and (which is mutated to ), mea ...

that mated with her prize-winning Afghan Hound. In 1990 she played Little Bo Peep in ''

Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme ''Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme'' (also known as ''Shelley Duvall's Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme'' or ''Shelley Duvall's Rock in Rhymeland'') is a 1990 American musical television film that aired on the Disney Channel. The film stars Shelley Duvall ...

.''

1992–2002: Later work and retirement

In 1992, Think Entertainment joined the newly formed Universal Family Entertainment to create Duvall's fourth Showtime original series, ''Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories'', which featured animated adaptations of children's storybooks with celebrity narrators and garnered her a second Emmy nomination. Duvall produced a fifth series for Showtime, '' Mrs. Piggle Wiggle'', before selling Think Entertainment in 1993 and retiring as a producer. She subsequently appeared as the vain, over-friendly, but harmless Countess Geminisister to the calculating Gilbert Osmond (

John Malkovich John Malkovich (born December 9, 1953) is an American actor. He is the recipient of several accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, two Screen Actors Guild Aw ...

)in

's 1996 adaptation of the

novel '' The Portrait of a Lady''. A year later, she played a beatific nun in the comedy film ''Changing Habits'' and a besotted, murderous,

ostrich Ostriches are large flightless birds of the genus ''Struthio'' in the order Struthioniformes, part of the infra-class Palaeognathae, a diverse group of flightless birds also known as ratites that includes the emus, rheas, and kiwis. There ...

-farm owner in

Guy Maddin Guy Maddin (born February 28, 1956) is a Canadian screenwriter, director, author, cinematographer, and film editor of both features and short films, as well as an installation artist, from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Since completing his first film i ...

's fourth feature ''

Twilight of the Ice Nymphs ''Twilight of the Ice Nymphs'' is a 1997 fantasy romance film directed by Guy Maddin. The screenplay was written by George Toles and inspired by the novel '' Pan'' (1894) by Knut Hamsun, with an additional literary touchstones being the short stor ...

''. The same year she played

Chris Cooper Christopher Walton Cooper (born July 9, 1951) is an American actor. He has appeared in several major Hollywood films, including '' American Beauty'' (1999), ''October Sky'' (1999), '' The Bourne Identity'' (2002), '' Seabiscuit'' (2003), '' Ca ...

's character's gullible wife who yearns for a better life in

Horton Foote Albert Horton Foote Jr. (March 14, 1916March 4, 2009) was an American playwright and screenwriter. He received Academy Awards for his screenplays for the 1962 film ''To Kill a Mockingbird'', which was adapted from the 1960 novel of the same name ...

's made-for-television film, ''Alone''. Duvall continued to make film and television appearances throughout the late-1990s. In 1998, she played Mrs. Jackson in the comedy ''

Home Fries Home fries (US, Canada), house fries (US), American fries (US), fried potatoes (UK, Canada and regional US), Bratkartoffeln (German), bistro potatoes (southeastern US), or peasant potatoes are a type of basic potato dish made by pan- or skillet ...

'' and Gabby in the

direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, TV series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strategy wa ...

children's film ''

Casper Meets Wendy ''Casper Meets Wendy'' is a 1998 American fantasy comedy film based on the Harvey Comics cartoon characters Casper the Friendly Ghost and Wendy the Good Little Witch. The film is a sequel to '' Casper: A Spirited Beginning'', and is the second sp ...

''. Near the end of the decade, she returned to the horror genre with a minor role in '' Tale of the Mummy'' (1998), co-starring Christopher Lee and

Gerard Butler Gerard James Butler (born 13 November 1969) is a Scottish actor and film producer. After studying law, he turned to acting in the mid-1990s with small roles in productions such as '' Mrs Brown'' (1997), the James Bond film '' Tomorrow Never ...

, and '' The 4th Floor'' (1999), co-starring Juliette Lewis. In the 2000s, Duvall accepted minor roles, including as the mother of Matthew Lawrence's character in the horror-comedy '' Boltneck'' (2000) and as

Haylie Duff Haylie Katherine Duff (born February 19, 1985) is an American actress, singer and songwriter, and the older sister of American singer and actress Hilary Duff. She is best known for her roles as Sandy Jameson in the television series '' 7th Heave ...

's aunt in the independent family film ''Dreams in the Attic'', which was sold to the Disney Channel but was never released. Following a small role in the 2002 independent film '' Manna from Heaven,'' Duvall took an extend hiatus from acting and public life.

2022–present: Return to acting

After a 20-year absence, it was announced in October 2022 that Duvall would be returning to acting in ''The Forest Hills'', an independent horror- thriller film directed and written by Scott Goldberg and co-starring

Edward Furlong Edward Walter Furlong (born August 2, 1977) is an American actor. He won Saturn and MTV Movie Awards for his breakthrough performance at age 13 as John Connor in James Cameron's '' Terminator 2: Judgment Day''; which was followed by a mini-seque ...

, Chiko Mendez, and

Dee Wallace Deanna Wallace (née Bowers; born December 14, 1948), also known as Dee Wallace Stone, is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as Mary Taylor, the mother in the 1982 blockbuster film '' E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial''. She i ...

. The film, about a man (Mendez) tormented by nightmarish visions after receiving head trauma in the Catskill Mountains, was given an official trailer the following month.

Personal life

Shelley Duvall (December 1977) (cropped)

Duvall married artist Bernard Sampson in 1970. However, their marriage disintegrated as Duvall's acting career accelerated, leading to their divorce in 1974. While she was shooting ''Annie Hall'' in New York in 1976, Duvall met singer/songwriter Paul Simon. The couple began a relationship and lived together for two years. Their relationship ended when Duvall introduced Simon to her friend, actress

Carrie Fisher Carrie Frances Fisher (October 21, 1956 – December 27, 2016) was an American actress and writer. She played Princess Leia in the ''Star Wars'' films (1977–1983). She reprised the role in'' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' (2015), ''The Last ...

; Fisher took up with Simon. Duvall has been in a relationship with musician and former Breakfast Club lead vocalist

Dan Gilroy Daniel Christopher Gilroy (born June 24, 1959) is an American screenwriter and film director. He is best known for writing and directing '' Nightcrawler'' (2014), for which he won Best Screenplay at the 30th Independent Spirit Awards, and was n ...

since 1989. The pair began their relationship while co-starring in the Disney Channel show ''

'', which was also produced by Duvall. After the

1994 Northridge earthquake The 1994 Northridge earthquake was a moment 6.7 (), blind thrust earthquake that occurred on January 17, 1994, at 4:30:55 a.m. PST in the San Fernando Valley region of the City of Los Angeles. The quake had a duration of approximately 1 ...

, Duvall relocated from her

Benedict Canyon Benedict Canyon is an area in the Westside of the city of Los Angeles, California. To the north of the Benedict Canyon neighborhood is the neighborhood of Sherman Oaks, to the west is the neighborhood of Beverly Glen, to the east are Beverly P ...

, Los Angeles, home to Blanco, Texas. Duvall stated that when she returned to her home state of Texas in 1994 to shoot the Steven Soderbergh film '' The Underneath'', she made the decision to move back to the state. Eight years later, in 2002, she retired from acting after 32 years in the business. In November 2016, Duvall agreed to be interviewed by

Phil McGraw Phillip Calvin McGraw (born September 1, 1950), better known as Dr. Phil, is an American television personality and author best known for hosting the talk show ''Dr. Phil''. He holds a doctorate in clinical psychology, though he ceased renew ...

on his daytime talk show '' Dr. Phil''. After the show aired, ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgi ...

'' reported that Duvall appeared to be suffering from a mental illness. The segment received significant criticism from the public, with many suggesting that Duvall was being exploited.

Vivian Kubrick Vivian Vanessa Kubrick (born August 5, 1960), also credited under the pseudonym Abigail Mead, is an American-British filmmaker and composer. She is the daughter of filmmaker Stanley Kubrick. Early life Vivian Vanessa Kubrick was born on August ...

, daughter of director Stanley Kubrick, posted an open letter to Dr. Phil on

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

, while actress

Mia Farrow Maria de Lourdes Villiers "Mia" Farrow ( ; born February 9, 1945) is an American actress. She first gained notice for her role as Allison MacKenzie in the television soap opera '' Peyton Place'' and gained further recognition for her subsequent ...

tweeted that it was "upsetting and unethical to exploit Shelley Duvall at this vulnerable time in her life". Director

Lee Unkrich Lee Edward Unkrich (born August 8, 1967) is an American film director, film editor, screenwriter, and animator. He was a longtime member of the creative team at Pixar, where he started in 1994 as a film editor. He later began directing, first as ...

also saw the episode, and was able to locate her in 2018. The two have become friends, and Unkrich has stated that Duvall remains very proud of her career. In February 2021, Seth Abramovitch, writer for ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...

'', located Duvall for an interview stating that "I only knew that it didn't feel right for McGraw's insensitive sideshow to be the final word on her legacy." The article noted that her memory was "sharp and full of engrossing stories". With regard to ''The Shining'', Duvall spoke of the emotional toll of performing the role of Wendy Torrance and the challenges of long days on the set, but stated that Kubrick was "very warm and friendly" to her. Anjelica Huston, who was dating

at the time, believed that Duvall was fully committed to the role and had even rented a small apartment in order to be close to the set.

Filmography

Discography

* ''Hello, I'm Shelley Duvall...Sweet Dreams'' (1991) * ''Hello, I'm Shelley Duvall...Merry Christmas'' (1991)

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Duvall, Shelley 1949 births 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses Actresses from Houston American film actresses American television actresses American voice actresses American women singers American women television producers American women writers Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress winners S Living people Television producers from Texas