Shelley Duvall, The Shining and Nashville Actress, Dies at 75 from Complications of Diabetes

At the age of 75, Shelley Duvall, who was well-known for her parts in Nashville and The Shining, passed away. Only a few days after turning 50, the actress passed unexpectedly on Thursday, July 11, in her Blanco, Texas, home.

Her partner, Dan Gilroy, confirmed her passing to Variety and The Hollywood Reporter, citing complications stemming from her diabetes.

“My sweet, wonderful, and beloved friend and life companion passed away. She has suffered too much lately; she is now free. Gilroy told THR, “Go, beautiful Shelley. Fly away.”

The Forest Hills, Duvall’s last movie, was directed by none other than Scott Goldberg, who expressed his feelings by saying, “Shelley leaves behind an amazing legacy and will be missed by so many people, myself included.

” I will always be appreciative of her friendship and kindness, and I am proud of her for rising above hardship to take action once more.”

On July 7, 1949, Shelley Duvall was born in Fort Worth, Texas. She had thought about a career in science before she became an actress. Her life took a significant turn when Brewster McCloud crew members from Robert Altman’s 1970 movie found her at a party in Houston where her then-fiance, Bernard Sampson, was showing art.

Her first on-screen part resulted from this fortunate meeting, which also ignited a working relationship between her and Altman. After that, she starred in a number of his movies, such as Nashville (1975), Thieves Like Us (1974), and McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971).

“After Thieves Like Us, Robert looked at me and said, ‘I knew you were good, but I didn’t know you were great,'” In an interview from 2023, Duvall recounted. “It’s the reason I stuck with it and became an actress.”

Throughout the 1970s, Duvall’s career flourished, leading to her most well-known performance in Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 horror picture The Shining.

Duvall costarred with Jack Nicholson in the film adaptation of Stephen King’s 1977 novel, which needed a taxing 56 weeks to shoot and now holds the Guinness World Record for “most retakes for one scene with dialogue.”

“Kubrick waits until at least take 35 before printing anything.” It becomes difficult after 35 attempts at jogging, sobbing, and holding a small boy, as Duvall revealed in 2021.

She would “listen to sad songs” or “just think about something very sad in your life or how much you miss your family and friends” before each scene to help her get in the correct frame of mind. However, your body protests after a while, she said. “Stop doing this to me,” it reads. I don’t want to cry all the time.”

The Shining cemented Duvall’s reputation as a household name in spite of the obstacles. In 1981, she declared, “You’re a star when somebody recognizes you at a Dairy Queen in Texas.”

Duvall kept up his career in film and television after The Shining, making appearances in shows including Time Bandits (1981), Frankenweenie (1984), and Roxanne (1987).

During the 1980s, Duvall pursued a career in producing in addition to acting. She developed children’s anthology series such as Tall Tales & Legends and Faerie Tale Theatre. She received two Emmy nominations and a Peabody Award in 1984 for these films, which starred celebrities like Liza Minnelli, Jeff Bridges, Teri Garr, Mick Jagger, and Robin Williams.

Following the release of Manna from Heaven in 2002, Duvall removed himself from the public glare. The Forest Hills, which she co-directed with Scott Goldberg over Zoom while filming remotely, marked her cinematic comeback.

“Returning to acting is really a blast. In an interview from 2023, she stated, “It enhances your life.”

Duvall made an appearance on the Dr. Phil show in 2016, however the piece was criticized for taking advantage of her mental health issues. “I found out the kind of person he is the hard way,” she remarked, thinking back on the event in 2021.

Before starting a committed relationship with Dan Gilroy in the late 1980s, Shelley Duvall dated singer Paul Simon in the 1970s and was married to artist Bernard Sampson from 1970 to 1974. Over the course of her career, Duvall gained notoriety for her unique appearance and voice but also for her ability to genuinely humanize a variety of roles.

Her work as an actor and producer in movies and television shows had a long-lasting effect on the business. Duvall’s versatility and brilliance were apparent from her early days with Robert Altman to her legendary performance in The Shining and her latter work in children’s television.

Fans and colleagues will always remember Shelley Duvall for her tenacity and singular brilliance in cinema and television. Many find inspiration in her incredible path through Hollywood, where she overcame both personal and professional obstacles.