Shelley Duvall, star of “The Shining,” dies at the age of 75

CNN
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Shelley Duvall, best known for her roles in “The Shining” and several acclaimed films with Robert Altman, has reportedly died, citing a family spokesman and her longtime partner.

She was 75.

Duvall died in her sleep at her home in Blanco, Texas, from complications of diabetes, Dan Gilroy, her partner of over 30 years, told the Hollywood Reporter.

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

Known for her slim figure, large, expressive eyes and powerful acting, Duvall starred alongside Jack Nicholson in the 1980 cult horror film The Shining and alongside Robin Williams in the comedy Popeye that same year.

But die-hard film fans also knew her from her professional collaboration with the acclaimed filmmaker Altman, who first cast her in the role of the lover in the 1970 film “Brewster McCloud”.

Duvall played memorable roles in several of his other films, including his 1975 ensemble film Nashville and 1977’s 3 Women, for which she won the Best Actress award at Cannes.

In a 1977 Boca Raton News article, Altman praised the actress for her ability to “swing the pendulum in all directions: charming, silly, sophisticated, pathetic – even beautiful.”

Duvall’s other notable work includes her appearances in Annie Hall, Roxanne and McCabe & Mrs. Miller. She had early success as host and producer of Showtime’s Faerie Tale Theater from 1982 to 1987, during the era of premium cable television networks. She worked in the entertainment industry for decades before falling on hard times.

In 2016, Duvall appeared on Dr. Phil’s daytime talk show in an interview titled “A Hollywood Star’s Descent into Mental Illness: Saving Shelley Duvall from ‘The Shining.'”

The actress made several disturbing statements, claiming that her “Popeye” co-star Williams, who died in 2014, was still alive and a shapeshifter.

“I am very sick,” she told Dr. Phil at the time. “I need help.”

After the episode aired, there was a strong reaction, with many complaining that Duvall was exploited on the show.

In April of this year, Duvall, who had not acted since 2002’s Manna from Heaven, gave a rare interview to The New York Times in which she discussed her career and her recent absence from film and television projects.

“I was a star, I had leading roles,” she said. “People think that’s just aging, but it’s not. It’s violence.”

“How would you feel if people were really nice and then suddenly turned against you from one moment to the next?” she added. “You would never believe it unless it happened to you. That’s why you’re hurt because you can’t really believe it’s true.”

At the time, she and Gilroy lived in a “secluded but quiet” one-story house in the Texas Hill Country.

Over the years, Duvall retained a large fan base. She returned to the screen in 2023 for the horror film “The Forest Hills.”

“I wanted to get back into acting. And then this guy kept calling, and that’s how I ended up doing it,” Duvall joked in her Times interview. “If you ever do a horror movie, other horror movies come to mind, no matter what you do.”

This story has been updated with additional information.