American actress Shelly Duvall died in her sleep on Thursday, July 11, as a result of complications from diabetes. A star of Robert Altman’s films, which gave her some of her best roles, she was best known for playing Wendy Torrance in The Shining opposite Jack Nicholson, a shoot that left her injured.
It was his companion since 1989, Dan Gilroy, who broke the news The Hollywood Reporter :
My precious, sweet and wonderful life companion, my friend, has left us. So much suffering lately, but he is free now. Fly away, beautiful Shelley.
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Shelley Duvall in “The Flash”
Spotted at a party
Born in Houston in 1949, Shelley Duvall, then a cosmetics salesperson, became an actress almost by accident, having been spotted at a casting party for Robert Altman’s Brewster McLeod. Impressed by this graceful young woman with an extraordinary physique, the director filmed her several times in the 1970s.
Cannes Film Festival Best Actor Award
Thus, Shelley Duvall plays in the films: John McCabe (1971), We’re All Thieves (1974), Nashville (1975) and Buffalo Bill and the Indians (1976). First of all, in 1977 she won the best actress prize (equal) at the Cannes Film Festival for her role in Three Women. So far, she has only worked in movies with the same director, but she will soon appear with Woody Allen in Annie Hall.
Flashes, a terrible shot
Her next role will also be her most memorable: as Wendy Torrance’s interpreter in The Shining, she captures the audience’s imagination with her “nightmare” fear-stricken face as her character tries to escape the murderous madness of Jack (Torrance/Nicholson). The climate of tension (some would say moral oppression) that Stanley Kubrick apparently established around the actor during the film’s very long shoots is undoubtedly not entirely unrelated to the nature of his performance.
In 1980, Shelley Duvall reunited with Robert Altman for Popeye, in which she played (a supporting role) skinny Olive, before leaving the following year to film for Terry Gilliam (Bandits, Bandits).
Early retirement
Despite some work with a very young Tim Burton (in the short Frankenweenie, 1984), a still minor Steven Soderbergh (On the Edge of the Skin, 1995) or Jane Campion in Portrait of a Lady, the sequel, among the minor roles. The big screen and TV career will be much more anecdotal.
Also a television producer in the 1980s and 90s, particularly for children’s programs, the actor retired in 2002 and last appeared in film in Manna from Heaven.
Always a helpful clarification, there is no family connection between her and Robert Duvall.
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
