Shelley Duvall was an iconic movie star of the 1970s and 1980s. She was widely known for her eccentric characters. From the role in The Shining to her collaboration with Robert Altman in Nashville, Duvall has always demonstrated her versatility and exceptional acting skills. Apart from her movie career, she also gained popularity as a film producer and TV presenter.
She was a BAFTA and Emmy nominee and a winner of the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress. Then, Shelley unexpectedly left Hollywood for 20 years. Read more about her life path, roles, terrible conditions on the set and the sudden pause in her career on houstonski.
Childhood and adolescence in Houston
Shelley was born on July 7, 1949 in Fort Worth, Texas. Shelley’s mother was a real estate broker and her father worked as a cattle auctioneer and lawyer. Because of her father’s work, the family often moved through Texas before settling in Houston. Shelley was 5 years old and dreamed of becoming an artist.
Shelley’s mother called her daughter ‘Manic Mouse’ because of her artistry and energy. In childhood, the girl became interested in science and wanted to become a researcher. After high school, Duvall sold cosmetics at Foley’s and attended South Texas Junior College, where she studied nutrition and diet therapy.
Early roles
Duvall never dreamed of acting. However, in 1970, she met Robert Altman at an art party. Members of his crew were fascinated by Duvall’s appearance and offered her a role in Brewster McCloud. The Houstonian decided to give it a try and flew to Hollywood. She played Suzanne, the carefree lover of Bud Cort’s Brewster. Duvall had a sought-after appearance. She was tall and slender with huge eyes and long lashes.
Later, Altman offered Shelley the role of a disgruntled bride in the western film McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) and the convict’s daughter and Keith Carradine’s mistress in the crime movie Thieves Like Us (1974).
In Nashville (1975), Shelley appeared as Martha, Mr. Green’s niece. Martha changed her name to L.A. Joan and came to Nashville to visit her dying aunt Esther. However, the woman spent all her time chasing male musicians.
The audience saw Shelley in the role of a pretty woman in the western film Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson (1976). That same year, Duvall stopped working with Altman to play Bernice in the adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story Bernice Bobs Her Hair (1976).
Breakthrough and recognition
In 1977, she starred in the psychological thriller 3 Women as Mildred ‘Millie’ Lammoreaux, a woman who lives in a gloomy California desert town. Despite the ready-made script, she, like other actors, improvised a lot. The movie was not a big box office success but received critical acclaim, as did Shelley’s performance. The actress was awarded at the Cannes Film Festival for Best Actress and was also nominated for BAFTA, the British equivalent of the Academy Award.
She also played a minor role in Woody Allen’s film Annie Hall, which won four Oscars. In the film, Alvy Singer tries to figure out the reasons for the failure of his relationship with Annie.
Her next role was Wendy Torrance in the classic psychological thriller The Shining (1980). Wendy is the wife of the main character Jack and the mother of Danny, a boy who has disturbing visions. The scenario is based on the plot of the book by Stephen King. Despite many negative reviews, critics recognized it as one of the best films of its genre.
The role was difficult for Duvall. She was at odds with director Stanley Kubrick. Shelley repeated the scene with the baseball bat 127 times. The mental and physical toll on Duvall was immense. Her eyes were swollen and her voice strained. There is no need to describe her fatigue.
The actress even demonstratively handed Kubrick a bundle of hair that fell out due to extreme stress on the set. During the last 9 months of filming, she cried for 12 hours almost every day. Despite these difficulties, film critic Roger Ebert described the role as one that the actress was born to play.
Pause in the career and mental problems
In the 1990s, the number of offers from directors began to decrease. Until 2003, Duvall was still acting in movies of various genres, until she found herself in the shadow of the film industry. The long absence caused discussions about the mental state of the actress.
In November 2016, she gave an interview to Phil McGraw on the talk show Dr. Phil. After it aired, USA Today reported that the actress suffered from mental illness. The fact is that Shelley looked exhausted and expressed scattered and somewhat strange ideas. Thus, she claimed that Robin Williams was still alive and the Sheriff of Nottingham from Robin Hood had threatened her. After that, journalists were highly criticized by the public for using the star’s unstable emotional state to create ratings. The only positive aspect of the television intervention in Duvall’s life was that the world learned that the actress was alive.
Duvall later told about her mental health issues. This helped to raise awareness and reduce the stigma surrounding these illnesses. Despite working with Hollywood stars, Duvall did not find acting effortless or beneficial.
After a 20-year pause, it was announced that Shelley would star in the thriller The Forest Hills. The story is about a man who suffers from terrifying visions after a head injury. The Hollywood icon got a chance to once again demonstrate her talent to the world.
Personal life
In 1970, Shelley married artist Bernard Sampson. They broke up after four years due to Duvall’s groundbreaking career. In 1976, the actress met the singer Paul Simon on the set. They lived together for two years. Then, Shelley introduced Simon to her friend, actress Carrie Fisher, and their relationship ended.
In 1989, Duvall met a musician and former Breakfast Club singer Dan Gilroy (Madonna’s ex-boyfriend). They got acquainted on the Mother Goose Rock ‘n’ Rhyme show on the Disney Channel. After the earthquake in the Northridge area of Los Angeles in 1994, the actress moved with Dan to the Texas city of Blanco. At the same time, her brother was diagnosed with spinal cancer.
Interesting facts
- Shelley is not only an actress but also a TV presenter and film producer. In the 1980s, she created and hosted the folklore TV series Tall Tales & Legends, based on famous folk tales.
- The star is an environmental activist. Duvall has repeatedly advocated for the protection of the environment and actively supported organizations focused on the protection of wildlife.
- In addition to acting, Duvall is also a talented artist and singer. She demonstrated her works at various exhibitions and also released several music albums.
- The actress participated in various charity events. Some of them were aimed at helping children and the homeless.
- Shelley is an animal lover. During her life, she saved several pets.