Shelley Devall played Wendy Torrance in Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film The Shining. Photo / Warner Bros
Shelley Devall played Wendy Torrance in Stanley Kubrick's 1980 film The Shining. Photo / Warner Bros
Influential actress Shelley Duvall, who worked with Stanley Kubrick and Robert Altman, has died at the age of 75.
The Shining actress passed away in her sleep at her home in Blanco, Texas, after experiencing complications from diabetes, her long-term partner Dan Gilroy has confirmed.
Gilroy - who was ina relationship with Shelley from 1989 - told the Hollywood Reporter: ”My dear, sweet, wonderful life partner and friend left us. Too much suffering lately, now she’s free. Fly away, beautiful Shelley.”
As well as starring opposite Jack Nicholson in The Shining and the late Robin Williams in Popeye, Shelley was best known for her work with director Robert Altman, starring in seven of his movies including McCabe + Mrs Miller, Nashville, Buffalo Bill and the Indians and 3 Women.
Shelley was discovered by Altman’s staff while attending junior college in Houston and asked to attend a screen test, making her debut as a teenage seductress in Brewster McCloud.
Robin Williams and Shelley Duvall as Popeye and Olive Oyl in Robert Altman's 1980 film Popeye. Photo / Paramount Pictures
The Annie Hall actress took a lengthy break from acting and set up her own production company Think Entertainment in 1987, but in 2022, six years after admitting she was “very sick” with mental health problems, she returned to the screen with a role in The Forest Hills.
In addition to her acting career, Shelley recorded Sweet Dreams, an album of music for children in 1991, and a year later Showtime bought her pitch for Faerie Tale Theatre, which she executive produced, narrated and appeared in.
In 1985, Shelley created another showtime series, Tall Tales and Legends, with both programmes featuring a string of star guests - including the likes of Sir Mick Jagger, Lisa Minelli, Jeff Bridges, and Vanessa Redgrave - who she persuaded to work for scale.
Shelley married artist Bernard Sampson in 1970 but they divorced four years later.
She went on to date Paul Simon, who she met while filming Annie Hall, but the musician eventually left her for her friend Carrie Fisher.
She also lived with Popeye co-star Stan Wilson and then dated Madonna’s former boyfriend Gilroy, who she met while starring in Disney Channel movie Mother Goose Rock ‘n’ Rhyme.
She is survived by her three brothers, Scott, Stewart and Shane.
Stanley Kubrick’s estate led the tributes to Shelley Duvall
The late director - who died in 1999 at the age of 70 - was at the helm of the 1980 classic horror The Shining and following the news that leading actress Shelley Duvall had passed away herself on Thursday, his estate took to social media to remember her.
A post on X read: “Shelley Duvall, legendary character actor, and The Shining’s extraordinary Wendy Torrance has died at the age of 75. Shelley’s career was varied and long.
Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, and Jack Nicholson in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining (1980). Photo / Getty Images
“Despite being dogged with exaggerations of her treatment on set, Shelley was always vocal about her experience filming The Shining, saying she “wouldn’t trade it for anything” because “working with loveable Stanley was a fascinating learning experience”.
“Our thoughts are with Shelley’s friends and family.”
Other big names to pay tribute to the late actress included Daisy Jones and the Six star Riley Keough, who hailed Shelley a ‘legend’, whilst Rachel Zegler of West Side Story fame simply posted a broken-hearted emoji on social media.
