“Shining” and “Popeye” star dies at 75

Shelley Duvall, the actress who became known primarily through Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” and numerous films by Robert Altman, has died. She was 75 years old.

The two-time Emmy nominee, who largely retired from Hollywood in the late 1990s, died Thursday at her home in Blanco, Texas, from complications of diabetes. Her partner, Dan Gilroy, confirmed the news to The Associated Press and several news outlets, including The Hollywood Reporter and Variety, saying she died in her sleep.

“My dear, sweet, wonderful partner and friend has left us,” Gilroy’s statement said. “Too much suffering lately, now she is free. Fly away, beautiful Shelley.”

Shelley made her film debut in Altman’s Brewster McCloud in 1970 and worked with the director throughout the decade on sprawling dramas such as Nashville, McCabe & Mrs. Miller and Three Women. But it was her role as Wendy Torrance, the anxious wife of Jack Nicholson’s mad writer-turned-nurse in the horror classic The Shining, that made her a cult face for film fans.

Long known for her big eyes and wide grin, the actress made memorable appearances with Robin Williams as Olive Oyl in the infamous movie musical “Popeye” in the early 1980s, as well as in Terry Gilliam’s fantasy “Time Bandits.” She became a force in children’s television, hosting the star-studded “Faerie Tale Theater” for six seasons, along with “Tall Tales & Legends” and “Shelley Duvall’s Bedtime Stories,” all on Showtime. She was also a frequent host on “Saturday Night Live.”

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After a two-decade hiatus from film and television acting, she made her final screen appearance last year in the horror film “The Forest Hills,” filming her scenes entirely over FaceTime.

Duvall made headlines in 2016 with her heartbreaking appearance on “Dr. Phil,” in which she discussed her struggle with mental illness. “I’m very sick. I need help,” she said in the interview. She went on to claim that her “Popeye” co-star Williams, who died in 2014, was still alive and could “shape-shift.”

Although she was never nominated for an Oscar, Duvall received numerous awards for her portrayal of Sissy Spacek’s free-spirited roommate in “3 Women” and was named Best Actress at the 1977 Cannes Film Festival. She was also recognized by critics in New York and Los Angeles. (She was nominated for Worst Actress at the Golden Raspberry Awards for “The Shining,” but the award was withdrawn in 2022.)

Duvall was born in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1949, the daughter of a real estate agent and cattle auctioneer who later became a lawyer. He met Altman at a party in 1970 while filming “Brewster McCloud” in the Lone Star State. Her unique looks and innate charisma captivated him, and he cast her as a tour guide in the film, launching her Hollywood career.

In a rare 2021 interview, Duvall spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about the grueling process of filming The Shining, tearing up as she rewatched a scene in which a terrified Wendy lashes out at her violent, deranged husband with a baseball bat.

“Jack was so good – so damn scary,” Duvall said. “I can only imagine how many women have to go through that.”

Duvall, nicknamed “Texas Twiggy,” was married to artist Bernard Sampson for four years before the couple divorced in 1974. She later dated musicians Paul Simon and Ringo Starr before meeting Gilroy, her partner, in the late 1980s.

In a February 2023 interview with People magazine, Duvall revealed that she hopes to continue acting, joking that Jessica Tandy “won an Oscar at 80.” She added that she still watches her old movies when she sees them on TV.

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