The late Shelley Duvall captivated audiences from her debut in Robert Altman’s “Brewster McCloud” in 1970. With her iconic style, doe-eyed beauty, and unique on-screen presence, she quickly became a ’70s icon and, by 1980, a household name.
Duvall, who passed away on July 11, 2024, is best known for her roles as Olive Oyl in “Popeye” and Wendy Torrance in “The Shining.” Although she never received an Oscar or Golden Globe nomination, her remarkable performances left a lasting impression. Roger Ebert wrote in December 1980, “In all of her roles, there is an openness about her, as if somehow nothing has come between her open face and our eyes — no camera, dialogue, makeup, method of acting — and she is just spontaneously being the character.”
Sadly, Duvall’s life was marked by many unfortunate circumstances, leading her to leave her career behind and choose family over fame. From her difficult upbringing to her death in July 2024, here are the tragic details about Shelley Duvall.
#1. Shelley Duvall Moved Around a Lot as a Kid
Born in Fort Worth, Texas, on July 7, 1949, Shelley Duvall was the eldest child of Robert and Bobbie Duvall. Her father’s various jobs required the family to move frequently.
“We lived mostly in hotels for the first five years of Shelley’s life. When we moved into our first house, in Houston, Shelley asked me where the elevator was,” Duvall’s mother said in a December 1991 interview with the Los Angeles Times.
Duvall’s parents had three more children, all boys. By the time she was 13, her mother opened a real estate office and left Shelley in charge. “I was practically a parent to my brothers. I was the eldest child, the responsible one,” Duvall explained.
#2. She Gave Up Pursuing a Career in Science
Surprisingly, Shelley Duvall didn’t always aspire to be an actor. Initially, she dreamed of becoming a scientist. She excelled in high school and enrolled at South Texas Junior College in Houston. However, after witnessing surgery on a monkey, she dropped out in her second year and lost her direction, eventually taking up a retail job.
In a February 2021 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Duvall said, “So I went to work at Foley’s department store. Ladies would come up to the counter, and I’d tie scarves for them and show them how to look pretty. I’d come home smelling like a lily. And I did some modeling — not much.”
Her life took a turn when she encountered Robert Altman’s staff, who convinced her to star in one of his films.
#3. Shelley Duvall Didn’t Make Much Money as an Actor Early On
Shelley Duvall’s first five movies were directed by Robert Altman, including “Thieves Like Us” and “Nashville.” Altman became her mentor, helping her launch and sustain her career in Hollywood.
“After ‘Thieves Like Us,’ Robert [Altman] looked at me and said, ‘I knew you were good, but I didn’t know you were great,'” Duvall told People in February 2023. “It’s the reason I stuck with it and became an actress.”
However, despite the glamour of the film industry, women were paid less than their male counterparts. “You didn’t get paid much — just scale plus 10 percent,” Duvall said. “They thought women would just marry and the husband’s going to support them. But that doesn’t happen for everybody.”
#4. She and Her Husband Bernard Sampson Divorced in 1974
Shelley Duvall met artist Bernard Sampson at a benefit for the 1967 Apollo 1 disaster astronauts. They married in 1970 while she was filming her first movie. As Duvall’s popularity grew, they moved to Los Angeles in 1974 to support her career. Unfortunately, they parted ways the same year. “We just grew apart,” she told The New York Times in March 1977. “There really was no explanation at all. We’re still very good friends.”
Reflecting on her marriage in a March 1981 interview with People, Duvall said, “There were no arguments or contests. We were just so young.” A few years after her divorce, she began dating a famed musician.
#5. Paul Simon Dumped Her for Carrie Fisher
Shelley Duvall met singer Paul Simon in 1976 while filming “Annie Hall,” and the two hit it off. They lived together for a couple of years, but their relationship was rocky. In a December 1980 interview with Roger Ebert, Duvall recounted how Robert Altman wanted to cast her in a role, but she stayed with Simon instead.
“Paul had rented this house and would have been very upset if I hadn’t spent the summer with him in it. So I did, which was against my better judgment. And then came my birthday. Bob and the whole cast called me up from Chicago and sang ‘Happy Birthday’ over the phone, and … I missed them so much. And what did I do on my birthday? Served chicken salad sandwiches to Paul’s parents,” she said.
Sadly, after introducing Simon to another rising star, he broke up with her and started dating “Star Wars” star Carrie Fisher. Simon dumped Duvall at the airport on New Year’s Day in 1979 as she was heading to film “The Shining.
#6. Shelley Duvall Didn’t Feel Beautiful at the Peak of Her Fame
Shelley Duvall’s distinct look earned her the nickname Texas Twiggy, after her home state and the popular model with similarly big eyes and slender frame. Despite her unique beauty, Duvall struggled with self-image during the peak of her career. In a February 2023 interview with People, she said, “I didn’t feel beautiful. I had big eyes, big ears.”
Duvall’s iconic appearance set her apart from other stars of her time. Sarah Lukowski, a fan who runs an Instagram account dedicated to Duvall, told The New York Times in April 2024, “It’s her unique look: the big eyes and oversized teeth and her offbeat personality. … She was such an enigmatic force. I mean there are actors today like Anya Taylor-Joy and Mia Goth who have similar features and acting styles, but there’ll never be another Shelley, you know?
#7. Her Role in The Shining Was Emotionally Taxing
Preparing for a role can be grueling for actors, but nothing could have prepared Shelley Duvall for the intense 56-week filming schedule of Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining.” Inspired by Stephen King‘s novel, the film required Duvall to work six days a week and 16 hours a day.
Kubrick, known for his perfectionism, often shot and reshot scenes repeatedly (the famous staircase scene was shot 127 times). The role took a toll on Duvall, who told People in March 1981 that she was “crying 12 hours a day for weeks on end. I will never give that much again. If you want to get into pain and call it art, go ahead, but not with me.”
Rumors circulated that Kubrick had been emotionally and verbally abusive toward Duvall to elicit a strong performance, but she defended him in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
“He was very warm and friendly to me,” she said. To prepare for her role, Duvall would “listen to sad songs. Or you just think about something very sad in your life or how much you miss your family or friends. But after a while, your body rebels. It says: ‘Stop doing this to me. I don’t want to cry every day.’ … I’d be like, ‘Oh no, I can’t, I can’t.’ And yet I did it.”
#8. Shelley Duvall’s Home Was Damaged in the 1994 Northridge Earthquake
After years of success in Hollywood, the peak of Shelley Duvall’s fame ended as the ’80s came to a close. Tragedy struck when her home was damaged in the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
The 6.7 magnitude quake hit the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, causing an estimated 57 deaths and $35 billion in damage. This event is believed to have contributed to Duvall’s decision to leave the area and eventually disappear from the spotlight.
When asked by The Hollywood Reporter if the earthquake was the last straw, Duvall replied, “Yeah. They wear you out, man. … The people. Afterwards, it’s like FEMA, then the next guys, and the next guys. Engineers one day, insurance people the next. Sometimes at the same time.”
#9. She Experienced Financial Troubles
After the earthquake, Shelley Duvall flew to Austin, Texas, to film a small role and never returned to Hollywood. While she remained private about her experiences, it was known that she faced financial troubles during this time.
In a 2021 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Duvall said she returned to Houston after filming because her mother offered to help with her difficulties. “It’s not just owning something that makes money. You have to also control it. You have to make sure it’s a good deal,” she explained.
Duvall also recalled a conversation with her mother about making extra money through art. “She said, ‘You know, you do so many things, why don’t … you do some art?’ And I kept thinking, ‘Yeah, Joni Mitchell gets $40,000 a painting. I might as well try.'” Unfortunately, Duvall never pursued this idea.
#10. Shelley Duvall’s Brother Was Diagnosed with Spinal Cancer
Another significant factor in Shelley Duvall’s departure from Hollywood was her brother’s illness. While she was being offered fewer roles, being there for her brother during his battle with spinal cancer took priority.
In a February 2023 interview with People, she said, “It’s the longest sabbatical I ever took, but it was for really important reasons — to get in touch with my family again.”
Later, Duvall faced her own health issues, revealing in one of her last interviews with The New York Times that she had been diagnosed with diabetes and had injured her foot, limiting her mobility.
#11. She Retired from Acting in 2002 and Completely Disappeared
Shelley Duvall continued acting in movies and appearing on television until 2002, when she took on her second-to-last role. With her fame waning and offers drying up, Duvall retired and disappeared from the public eye for nearly two decades. Fans wondered what had happened to “The Shining” star, and when she resurfaced in the 2020s for interviews, she remained vague about her reasons for leaving.
In an April 2024 interview with The New York Times, Duvall said, “I was a star; I had leading roles. People think it’s just aging, but it’s not. It’s violence. … How would you feel if people were really nice, and then, suddenly, on a dime, they turn on you? You would never believe it unless it happens to you. That’s why you get hurt, because you can’t really believe it’s true.” While she didn’t specify an inciting incident, her words suggest a painful experience.
#12. Shelley Duvall Struggled With Her Mental Health
As Shelley Duvall aged, she faced even more turmoil. After leaving Los Angeles for Texas, her mental health deteriorated, according to Dan Gilroy, her long-term boyfriend and partner of 34 years. In an April 2024 interview with The New York Times,
Gilroy said, “She became paranoid and just kind of delusional, thinking she was being attacked. She tried to make calls to the FBI and asked our neighbor to protect us. It was just shocking that, suddenly, from normal, it went south like that.”
In 2016, it was revealed that Duvall had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, characterized by schizophrenia symptoms like hallucinations and delusions, as well as mood disorder symptoms. Her mental health became a public spectacle in 2016, but many rallied around her in support.
#13. Fans Believe She Was Exploited by Dr. Phil
In 2016, Shelley Duvall returned to the spotlight after more than a decade away by agreeing to appear on Phil McGraw’s daytime talk show, “Dr. Phil.” The episode, titled “From Hollywood Star to Near Isolation: Helping ‘The Shining’s’ Shelley Duvall,” disturbed many viewers.
During the appearance, Duvall discussed her delusions, including believing her late “Popeye” co-star Robin Williams was still alive and shapeshifting, and concerns about a mechanism inside her.
It was heartbreaking to watch her admit, “I’m very sick. I need help.” McGraw ended the episode by saying, “After three days at the treatment center, Shelley still refused to agree to take any medications and she would not sign the paperwork required to treat her. She was accompanied by trained professionals and was safely returned to her family and boyfriend at home.”
He claimed his team was working with Duvall’s mother to continue helping her.
Condemnation of McGraw’s apparent exploitation of Duvall poured in, including from Stanley Kubrick’s daughter Vivian, who called for a boycott of “Dr. Phil” on Twitter. Unquestioningly, this is purely a form of lurid and exploitive entertainment — it’s appallingly cruel,” she wrote.
#14. Shelley Duvall’s Family Was Harassed by Dr. Phil After the Interview
Shelley Duvall’s infamous interview with Phil McGraw went viral, with many pitying her for the apparent exploitation. Five years later, she told The Hollywood Reporter that McGraw began harassing her mother after the interview.
“I found out the kind of person he is the hard way. My mother didn’t like him, either. A lot of people, like Dan [Gilroy], said, ‘You shouldn’t have done that, Shelley.’ … [McGraw] started calling my mother. She told him, ‘Don’t call my daughter anymore.’ But he started calling my mother all the time trying to get her to let me talk to him again,” Duvall recounted.
McGraw faced significant scrutiny for failing to provide adequate care for Duvall, but he claimed she wouldn’t work with his team. In a June 2023 interview on CNN‘s “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace,” McGraw said, “I don’t regret what I did. I regret that it was promoted in a way that people thought was unbecoming.”
#15. Shelley Duvall Died in Her Sleep
Tragically, Shelley Duvall passed away in her sleep on July 11, 2024, just a few days after her 75th birthday. The cause of death was complications from diabetes. Duvall’s partner Dan Gilroy said in a statement to 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.”
Thankfully, before her death, Duvall returned to acting one last time in an indie horror movie called “The Forest Hills.” She expressed her joy in a February 2023 interview with People, saying, “Acting again — it’s so much fun. It enriches your life.” She added with a laugh, “[Jessica Tandy] won an Oscar when she was 80. I can still win.”
