Shelley Duvall, the iconic actress best known for her role as Wendy Torrance in “The Shining,” has led a life as intriguing and complex as the characters she portrayed. Recently, the cause of her death was finally disclosed, bringing a somber closure to the life of a woman who captivated audiences with her unique talent and unforgettable performances.
Duvall spent her later years in the serene Texas Hill Country, where she was often seen in her white Toyota 4Runner, a vehicle filled to the brim with various acquisitions. She shared a home with Dan Gilroy, a former member of the early Madonna band Breakfast Club, whom she met while co-starring in the Disney Channel movie “Mother Goose Rock ‘n’ Rhyme.” Despite her reclusive lifestyle, Duvall remained a beloved figure among the locals, who saw her more as an eccentric aunt than a faded movie star.
Her appearance had changed significantly over the years. Her once-thin and gray hair, her breathy voice turned gravelly from chain-smoking, and her stick-figure frame had filled out. Yet, her eyes still sparkled, and her toothy grin remained warm and familiar. Duvall’s days were spent chatting with locals and enjoying takeout food, often raving about the cherry scones from a nearby cafe.
The locals were protective of Duvall, especially after a disturbing 2016 interview with Dr. Phil, where she appeared disoriented and shared paranoid fantasies. The episode was widely condemned as exploitative, and it marked the first time many of her fans and Hollywood friends had seen her in years. The interview highlighted the untreated mental illness that had contributed to her retreat from the public eye.
Lee Unkrich, the director of Oscar-winning Pixar films like “Toy Story 3” and “Coco,” was among those who watched the Dr. Phil episode with dismay. A devoted fan of “The Shining,” Unkrich had been searching for Duvall for years. He finally located her in Texas two years ago and visited her with a collection of photos from the making of “The Shining.” Unkrich found that the Duvall on Dr. Phil was just one part of a more complex picture. She could still converse coherently and recall detailed stories about her life and career, of which she remained very proud.
Duvall’s journey began in Fort Worth, Texas, where she was born on July 7, 1949. She grew up in Houston, where her father was a cattle auctioneer turned criminal lawyer, and her mother was a successful real estate agent. Duvall was a straight-A student in high school, with dreams of becoming a scientist. However, her grades slipped as she discovered a taste for boys and developed an iconoclastic style. Her science dreams ended after witnessing a monkey vivisection, leading her to work at Foley’s department store and do some modeling.
It was through modeling that she met her first and only husband, Bernard Sampson, an artist. A party she threw to sell his works led to her discovery by crewmembers of Robert Altman’s film “Brewster McCloud.” This chance encounter led to a fruitful collaboration with Altman, who cast her in several of his films, including “McCabe & Mrs. Miller,” “Thieves Like Us,” “Nashville,” “Buffalo Bill and the Indians,” “3 Women,” and “Popeye.”
Duvall’s performance in “3 Women” was a major breakthrough, earning her the best actress award at the 1977 Cannes Film Festival. Her role in “The Shining” came next, a grueling 56-week shoot that tested her emotional and physical limits. Despite the challenges, her performance as Wendy Torrance remains one of the most memorable in horror film history.
Duvall’s later years were marked by a retreat from Hollywood and a struggle with mental illness. Yet, she remained a beloved figure among those who knew her, both in her Texas community and in the hearts of her fans. Her death marks the end of an era, but her legacy as a unique and talented actress will endure.
Source: Various
