Shelley Duvall

Born: 1949-07-07 in Fort Worth, Texas, USA

Died: 2024-07-11

Known For: Acting

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). 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.

Filmography

2025

Dreams in the Attic as Aunt Nellie
The Alex Leyba Movie II as Self (archive footage)

2002

Manna from Heaven as Detective Dubrinski

2001

Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures as Self

1999

The 4th Floor as Martha Stewart

1998

Casper Meets Wendy as Gabby
Tale of the Mummy as Edith Butros
Big Monster on Campus as Mrs. Stein
Maggie Winters as Muriel
Home Fries as Mrs. Jackson

1997

Changing Habits as Sister Agatha
RocketMan as Mrs. Randall (uncredited)
Alone as Estelle
Guy Maddin: Waiting for Twilight as Self
Shadow Zone: My Teacher Ate My Homework as Mrs. Fink
Twilight of the Ice Nymphs as Amelia Glahn
The Adventures of Shirley Holmes as Alice Flitt

1996

The Portrait of a Lady as Countess Gemini
Robert Altman: Giggle And Give In as Self

1995

Wishbone as Renee Lassiter
The Underneath as Nurse

1994

Aaahh!!! Real Monsters as Ocka (voice)
Aliens for Breakfast as Teacher
Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories: The Christmas Witch as Host
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle as Potsi

1993

Frasier as Caroline (voice)

1992

Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories as Shelley Duvall

1991

Frogs! as Annie
Suburban Commando as Jenny Wilcox

1990

Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme as Little Bo Peep
The Chipmunks Rockin' Through The Decades as Self

1989

Carmilla ... (Executive Producer)
The Turn of the Screw ... (Executive Producer)
Dinner at Eight ... (Producer)
The Eyes of the Panther ... (Executive Producer)
Nightmare Classics ... (Creator)
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde ... (Executive Producer)

1988

Earthquake Survival as Self

1987

Roxanne as Dixie
Faerie Tale Theatre: Rip Van Winkle as Self - Host (uncredited)
Frog as Mrs. Anderson
The Dancing Princesses as Self - Host
The Little Mermaid as Self - Host

1986

L.A. Law as Margo Stanton
Popples ... (Executive Producer)
John Henry as Self / Host
Pecos Bill as Self / Host
Johnny Appleseed as Self / Host
Davy Crockett as Self / Host
Darlin' Clementine as Self / Host / Clementine
Casey at the Bat as Host
The Princess Who Had Never Laughed as Self - Host
Lily as Lily Miniver
Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp as Self - Host
Mr. Bill's Real Life Adventures as Self
Ponce de Leon as Self / Host

1985

The Twilight Zone as Margaret (segment "A Saucer of Loneliness")
The Ray Bradbury Theater as Leota Bean
Cinderella as Self - Host
Annie Oakley as The Host
Tall Tales & Legends as Self - Host
The Pied Piper of Hamelin as Self - Host
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow as Self / Host
Faerie Tale Theatre: Cinderella ... (Executive Producer)
Puss in Boots as Self - Host / Narrator
The Emperor's New Clothes as Self - Host
The Snow Queen as Host / Narrator (voice)

1984

Frankenweenie as Susan Frankenstein
Pinocchio as Self - Host (uncredited)
Thumbelina as Self - Host (uncredited)
Booker as Laura
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as Snow White's Mother / Self - Host
The Princess and the Pea as Self - Host (uncredited)
The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers as Self - Host (uncredited)
Goldilocks and the Three Bears as Self - Host (uncredited)
Beauty and the Beast as Self - Host (uncredited)
WonderWorks as Laura Burroughs

1983

Rapunzel as Rapunzel / Marie, Rapunzel's Mother / Self - Host
The Nightingale as Nightingale (voice) / Narrator (voice) / Self - Host
Jack and the Beanstalk as Self - Host (uncredited)
Hansel and Gretel as Self - Host (uncredited)
The Fairest of Them All as Self
Sleeping Beauty as Self - Host (uncredited)
Little Red Riding Hood as Self - Host (uncredited)

1982

Faerie Tale Theatre as The Miller's Daughter
Twilight Theatre
Rumpelstiltskin as The Miller's Daughter / Self - Host
The Tale of the Frog Prince as Self - Host (uncredited)

1981

Time Bandits as Dame Pansy / Pansy

1980

The Shining as Wendy Torrance
Popeye as Olive Oyl
Fridays as Self
Making 'The Shining' as Self

1977

Annie Hall as Pam
3 Women as Mildred "Millie" Lammoreaux
The Paul Simon Special as Joan of Arc

1976

Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson as The First Lady (Mrs. Cleveland)
Bernice Bobs Her Hair as Bernice

1975

Saturday Night Live as Self - Host
Nashville as L.A. Joan

1974

Spécial cinéma as Self
Thieves Like Us as Keechie

1971

Cannon as Liz Christie
McCabe & Mrs. Miller as Ida Coyle

1970

Brewster McCloud as Suzanne