
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.
81
Films
23
TV Shows
31
Crew Credits
Known For
104 Credits
Frasier
as Caroline (voice)
1993

Saturday Night Live
as Self - Host
1975

Saturday Night Live
as Patron (uncredited)
1975

Saturday Night Live
as Self (uncredited)
1975

L.A. Law
as Margo Stanton
1986

Spécial cinéma
as Self
1974

The Twilight Zone
as Margaret (segment "A Saucer of Loneliness")
1985

Cannon
as Liz Christie
1971

The Shining
as Wendy Torrance
1980

Aaahh!!! Real Monsters
as Ocka (voice)
1994

Faerie Tale Theatre
as The Miller's Daughter
1982

Faerie Tale Theatre
as Marie / Rapunzel
1982
Behind the Camera
31 Credits
Cinderella
Producer
1985

Pinocchio
Producer
1984

Rapunzel
Producer
1983

Ponce de Leon
Producer
1986

Puss in Boots
Producer
1985

Faerie Tale Theatre: Rip Van Winkle
Producer
1987

The Nightingale
Producer
1983

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Producer
1984

Sleeping Beauty
Producer
1983

The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers
Producer
1984

Annie Oakley
Producer
1985

John Henry
Producer
1986