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Shelley Duvall
Actor

Shelley Duvall

7 Jul 1949Born
11 Jul 2024Died
75Age at death
62Credits

Biography

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).

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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.

Known for

Filmography

  1. 2005Saturday Night Live: The Best of Dan AykroydFilm: Bad Ballet Dancer (archive footage)
  2. 2002Manna from HeavenFilm: Detective Dubrinski
  3. 2000Dreams in the AtticFilm: Aunt Nellie
  4. 1999The 4th FloorFilm: Martha Stewart
  5. 1998Home FriesFilm: Mrs. Jackson
  6. 1998Maggie WintersSeries: Muriel (18 episodes)
  7. 1998The HughleysSeries: Mrs. Crump (1 episode)
  8. 1998Casper Meets WendyFilm: Gabby
  9. 1998Russell Mulcahy’s Tale of the MummyFilm: Edith Butros
  10. 1998Big Monster on CampusFilm: Mrs. Stein
  11. 1997AloneFilm: Estelle
  12. 1997RocketManFilm: Mrs. Randall (uncredited)
  13. 1997Twilight of the Ice NymphsFilm: Amelia Glahn
  14. 1997Changing HabitsFilm: Sister Agatha
  15. 1997The Adventures of Shirley HolmesSeries: Alice Flitt (52 episodes)
  16. 1997Shadow Zone: My Teacher Ate My HomeworkFilm: Mrs. Fink
  17. 1996The Portrait of a LadyFilm: Countess Gemini
  18. 1995WishboneSeries: Renee Lassiter (50 episodes)
  19. 1995The UnderneathFilm: Nurse
  20. 1994Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories: The Christmas WitchFilm: Host
  21. 1994Aaahh!!! Real MonstersSeries: Ocka (voice) (102 episodes)
  22. 1994Mrs. Piggle-WiggleSeries: Potsi (1 episode)
  23. 1994Aliens for BreakfastFilm: Teacher
  24. 1993FrasierSeries: Caroline (voice) (1 episode)
  25. 1992Shelley Duvall's Bedtime StoriesSeries: Shelley Duvall (13 episodes)
  26. 1991Suburban CommandoFilm: Jenny Wilcox
  27. 1991Frogs!Film: Annie
  28. 1990Mother Goose Rock 'n' RhymeFilm: Little Bo Peep
  29. 1989Nightmare ClassicsSeries: Creator
  30. 1987RoxanneFilm: Dixie
  31. 1987FrogFilm: Mrs. Anderson
  32. 1986Annie OakleyFilm: The Host
  33. 1986L.A. LawSeries: Margo Stanton (1 episode)
  34. 1986LilyFilm: Lily Miniver
  35. 1986Casey at the BatFilm: Host
  36. 1985The Twilight ZoneSeries: Margaret (segment "A Saucer of Loneliness") (1 episode)
  37. 1985Tall Tales & LegendsSeries: Clementine, Creator (1 episode)
  38. 1985The Ray Bradbury TheaterSeries: Leota Bean (1 episode)
  39. 1985The Snow QueenFilm: Host / Narrator (voice)
  40. 1984FrankenweenieFilm: Susan Frankenstein
  41. 1984BookerFilm: Laura
  42. 1984WonderWorksSeries: Laura Burroughs (1 episode)
  43. 1984The Secret World of the Very YoungFilm
  44. 1984Snow White and the Seven DwarfsFilm: Snow White's Mother / Self - Host
  45. 1983The NightingaleFilm: Nightingale (voice) / Narrator (voice) / Self - Host
  46. 1983RapunzelFilm: Rapunzel / Marie, Rapunzel's Mother / Self - Host
  47. 1982RumpelstiltskinFilm: The Miller's Daughter / Self - Host
  48. 1982Faerie Tale TheatreSeries: The Miller's Daughter, Marie / Rapunzel, Narrator / Nightingale (voice), Snow White's Mother, Narrator (voice) (1 episode)
  49. 1982Twilight TheatreFilm
  50. 1981Time BanditsFilm: Dame Pansy / Pansy
  51. 1980PopeyeFilm: Olive Oyl
  52. 1980The ShiningFilm: Wendy Torrance
  53. 1977The Paul Simon SpecialFilm: Joan of Arc
  54. 19773 WomenFilm: Mildred "Millie" Lammoreaux
  55. 1977Annie HallFilm: Pam
  56. 1976Bernice Bobs Her HairFilm: Bernice
  57. 1976Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History LessonFilm: The First Lady (Mrs. Cleveland)
  58. 1975NashvilleFilm: L.A. Joan
  59. 1974Thieves Like UsFilm: Keechie
  60. 1971CannonSeries: Liz Christie (1 episode)
  61. 1971Brewster McCloudFilm: Suzanne
  62. 1971McCabe & Mrs. MillerFilm: Ida Coyle

Biography and credits from TMDB. This website uses TMDB and the TMDB APIs but is not endorsed, certified, or otherwise approved by TMDB.