July 11th 2024.
It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of Shelley Duvall's passing at the age of 75. Fans around the world were devastated to learn that the talented actress passed away on July 11, just four days after her 75th birthday.
Throughout her career, Duvall was known for her eccentric and offbeat roles, such as Wendy Torrance in The Shining, Olive Oyl in Popeye, and Millie Lammoreaux in 3 Women. She had a knack for portraying characters that were bizarre and macabre, solidifying her as a symbol of the unconventional.
However, behind the scenes, Duvall's life was often filled with more drama than the movies she starred in. Sadly, her story is one of a highly creative individual who was constantly taken advantage of by a ruthless industry.
In a 2024 interview with The New York Times, Duvall opened up about her struggles with mental health and how the heartless nature of Hollywood played a role in it. "I was a star, I had leading roles," she shared. "People think it's just aging, but it's not. It's violence."
Born in Texas in 1949 to upper-middle-class parents, Duvall grew up in a time and place where being different was not easy. In one interview, she recalled how kids used to tease her about her tall and lanky frame, calling her "Olive Oyl," a character she later played in the 1980 film Popeye. But despite the taunting, Duvall was able to reclaim the character and turn it into something positive. She shared with People magazine, "Children grab me around the legs in the grocery store and say, 'You're Olive Oyl!' That's really, really good. It makes that movie one of the best things I've ever done."
However, not everything in Duvall's life could be spun in a positive light. After being discovered by director Robert Altman in 1970, she made several films with him and began to make a name for herself in Hollywood. She even landed a role in the iconic film Annie Hall in 1977, where she met and dated musician Paul Simon for two years.
Unfortunately, just as Duvall's star was rising, things took a turn for the worse. Simon ended their relationship and began dating Carrie Fisher, who Duvall had introduced him to. This heartbreak, coupled with the grueling filming of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, took a toll on Duvall's mental and emotional well-being.
Kubrick was notoriously demanding and treated Duvall terribly on set. He even encouraged the other actors to ignore her, creating a sense of isolation that mirrored her character's in the film. In a documentary about the making of The Shining, Kubrick can be heard saying, "Don't sympathize with Shelley." He also made the decision to never compliment or acknowledge her, urging the rest of the cast and crew to do the same.
The famous scene where Duvall's character fends off Jack Nicholson's character with a baseball bat was shot 127 times, leaving her exhausted and emotionally drained. And in the iconic scene where Nicholson's character breaks through the bathroom door with an ax, Duvall's reaction of pure terror was genuine because she had no prior knowledge that Nicholson would be wielding a weapon.
Years later, Duvall admitted that filming The Shining took a toll on her mental and emotional health. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she shared, "To wake up on a Monday morning, so early, and realize that you had to cry all day because it was scheduled — I would just start crying."
Despite the difficult experience, Duvall credited Kubrick's heavy-handed directing for eliciting the best performance from her. But she also made it clear that she would never put herself through such an ordeal again. She told People in 1981, "Crying 12 hours a day for weeks on end. I will never give that much again. If you want to get into pain and call it art, go ahead, but not with me."
Anjelica Huston, who was dating Nicholson at the time of filming, shared her concerns about Duvall's well-being, saying, "When I saw her during those days, she seemed generally a bit tortured, shook up. I don't think anyone was being particularly careful of her."
Critics accused Duvall of overacting in The Shining, which led to a dry spell in her career and eventually led her to move to Texas in 1994. Some believe that the experience of filming the movie never left her and greatly affected her mental health.
In the years that followed, Duvall's mental health deteriorated significantly. Her partner, Dan Gilroy, who was with her from 1989 until her death, shared, "Things went downhill when she started becoming afraid of things, maybe didn't want to work. It's really hard to pin it on any one thing."
Duvall began to suffer from intense paranoia and would often spout conspiracy theories. Gilroy recalled, "She became paranoid and just kind of delusional, thinking she was being attacked. She tried to make calls to the F.B.I. and asked our neighbor to protect us. It was just shocking that, suddenly, from normal, it went south like that."
In 2016, Duvall was featured in an episode of The Dr. Phil Show, which sparked a lot of controversy. Duvall appeared disheveled and often incoherent, sharing various paranoid delusions, including her belief that her co-star Robin Williams, who died by suicide in 2014, was still alive and a "shapeshifter." Despite the backlash, Dr. Phil stood by the episode, which many considered to be exploitative.
In an interview with The New York Times, Duvall expressed her regret for doing the show, saying, "I found out the kind of person he is the hard way. My mother didn't like him, either. A lot of people, like Dan, said, 'You shouldn't have done that, Shelley.'"
Despite the challenges she faced in her life, Duvall's legacy is one of creativity and innovation. She is remembered for her contribution to children's television with her production companies, which produced shows like Faerie Tale Theatre, a cult classic among millennials. From being bullied as a young girl to becoming an iconic actress who didn't just play parts but defined them, Duvall's impact on the entertainment industry will never be forgotten.
Gilroy shared his thoughts on Duvall's passing, saying, "My dear, sweet, wonderful life partner and friend left us. Too much suffering lately, now she's free. Fly away, beautiful Shelley."
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