Shelley Duvall
Acting • Born 1949-07-07 – Died 2024-07-11
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
110 credits
The Shining
Movie • 1980
Wendy Torrance
Annie Hall
Movie • 1977
Pam
Nashville
Movie • 1975
L.A. Joan
Big Monster on Campus
Movie • 1998
Mrs. Stein
Popeye
Movie • 1980
Olive Oyl
Roxanne
Movie • 1987
Dixie
Suburban Commando
Movie • 1991
Jenny Wilcox
Thieves Like Us
Movie • 1974
Keechie
Home Fries
Movie • 1998
Mrs. Jackson
Brewster McCloud
Movie • 1971
Suzanne
Frankenweenie
Movie • 1984
Susan Frankenstein
The Underneath
Movie • 1995
Nurse
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
Movie • 1971
Ida Coyle
The Chipmunks Rockin' Through The Decades
Movie • 1990
Self
3 Women
Movie • 1977
Mildred "Millie" Lammoreaux
Time Bandits
Movie • 1981
Dame Pansy / Pansy
Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme
Movie • 1990
Little Bo Peep
Tale of the Mummy
Movie • 1998
Edith Butros
Casper Meets Wendy
Movie • 1998
Gabby
Hello, I'm Shelley Duvall
Movie
Self
Making 'The Shining'
Movie • 1980
Self
The 4th Floor
Movie • 1999
Martha Stewart
Pinocchio
Movie • 1984
Self - Host (uncredited)
Thumbelina
Movie • 1984
Self - Host (uncredited)
Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson
Movie • 1976
The First Lady (Mrs. Cleveland)
Johnny Appleseed
Movie • 1986
Self / Host
Ponce de Leon
Movie • 1986
Self / Host
John Henry
Movie • 1986
Self / Host
Davy Crockett
Movie • 1986
Self / Host
Pecos Bill
Movie • 1986
Self / Host
Shadow Zone: My Teacher Ate My Homework
Movie • 1997
Mrs. Fink
Frog
Movie • 1987
Mrs. Anderson
Changing Habits
Movie • 1997
Sister Agatha
Twilight Theatre
Movie • 1982
Bernice Bobs Her Hair
Movie • 1976
Bernice
The Pied Piper of Hamelin
Movie • 1985
Self - Host
Annie Oakley
Movie • 1985
The Host
Darlin' Clementine
Movie • 1986
Self / Host / Clementine
Casey at the Bat
Movie • 1986
Host
The Portrait of a Lady
Movie • 1996
Countess Gemini
Twilight of the Ice Nymphs
Movie • 1997
Amelia Glahn
The Paul Simon Special
Movie • 1977
Joan of Arc
Alone
Movie • 1997
Estelle
Frogs!
Movie • 1991
Annie
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Dan Aykroyd
Movie • 2005
Bad Ballet Dancer (archive footage)
Faerie Tale Theatre: Rip Van Winkle
Movie • 1987
Self - Host (uncredited)
Manna from Heaven
Movie • 2002
Detective Dubrinski
Booker
Movie • 1984
Laura
Robert Altman: Giggle And Give In
Movie • 1996
Self
RocketMan
Movie • 1997
Mrs. Randall (uncredited)
Cinderella
Movie • 1985
Self - Host
The Emperor's New Clothes
Movie • 1985
Self - Host
The Princess Who Had Never Laughed
Movie • 1986
Self - Host
Puss in Boots
Movie • 1985
Self - Host / Narrator
Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp
Movie • 1986
Self - Host
The Little Mermaid
Movie • 1987
Self - Host
The Dancing Princesses
Movie • 1987
Self - Host
The Fairest of Them All
Movie • 1983
Self
Rumpelstiltskin
Movie • 1982
The Miller's Daughter / Self - Host
The Nightingale
Movie • 1983
Nightingale (voice) / Narrator (voice) / Self - Host
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Movie • 1984
Snow White's Mother / Self - Host
Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures
Movie • 2001
Self
Mr. Bill's Real Life Adventures
Movie • 1986
Self
Jack and the Beanstalk
Movie • 1983
Self - Host (uncredited)
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Movie • 1985
Self / Host
Aliens for Breakfast
Movie • 1994
Teacher
Rapunzel
Movie • 1983
Rapunzel / Marie, Rapunzel's Mother / Self - Host
The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers
Movie • 1984
Self - Host (uncredited)
Guy Maddin: Waiting for Twilight
Movie • 1997
Self
Earthquake Survival
Movie • 1988
Self
The Tale of the Frog Prince
Movie • 1982
Self - Host (uncredited)
Sleeping Beauty
Movie • 1983
Self - Host (uncredited)
Little Red Riding Hood
Movie • 1983
Self - Host (uncredited)
The Princess and the Pea
Movie • 1984
Self - Host (uncredited)
Hansel and Gretel
Movie • 1983
Self - Host (uncredited)
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Movie • 1984
Self - Host (uncredited)
Beauty and the Beast
Movie • 1984
Self - Host (uncredited)
Howl: Inside the Forest Hills
Movie
Self
Lily
Movie • 1986
Lily Miniver
Dreams in the Attic
Movie • 2025
Aunt Nellie
The Snow Queen
Movie • 1985
Host / Narrator (voice)
Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories: The Christmas Witch
Movie • 1994
Host
Kubrick by Kubrick
Movie • 2020
Self (archive footage)
The Secret World of the Very Young
Movie • 1984
L.A. Law
TV • 1986
Margo Stanton
The Adventures of Shirley Holmes
TV • 1997
Alice Flitt
The Twilight Zone
TV • 1985
Margaret (segment "A Saucer of Loneliness")
Wishbone
TV • 1995
Renee Lassiter
Aaahh!!! Real Monsters
TV • 1994
Ocka (voice)
Frasier
TV • 1993
Caroline (voice)
Cannon
TV • 1971
Liz Christie
The Ray Bradbury Theater
TV • 1985
Leota Bean
Fridays
TV • 1980
Self
Tall Tales & Legends
TV • 1985
Self - Host
Maggie Winters
TV • 1998
Muriel
Saturday Night Live
TV • 1975
Self - Host
Faerie Tale Theatre
TV • 1982
The Miller's Daughter
Faerie Tale Theatre
TV • 1982
Marie / Rapunzel
Faerie Tale Theatre
TV • 1982
Narrator / Nightingale (voice)
Faerie Tale Theatre
TV • 1982
Snow White's Mother
Faerie Tale Theatre
TV • 1982
Narrator (voice)
Faerie Tale Theatre
TV • 1982
Self - Host
WonderWorks
TV • 1984
Laura Burroughs
Spécial cinéma
TV • 1974
Self
Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories
TV • 1992
Shelley Duvall
Tall Tales & Legends
TV • 1985
Clementine
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
TV • 1994
Potsi
Saturday Night Live
TV • 1975
Patron (uncredited)
Saturday Night Live
TV • 1975
Self (uncredited)
The Hughleys
TV • 1998
Mrs. Crump