Hollywood icon Shelley Duvall has passed away just four days after her 75th birthday.
Dan Gilroy, her life partner since 1989, confirmed that Duvall passed in her sleep from complications due to diabetes at her residence in Blanco, Texas.
“My dear, sweet, wonderful life partner and friend left us. Too much suffering lately, now she’s free. Fly away, beautiful Shelley,” Gilroy conveyed 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.” (Dan Gilroy on Shelley’s passing)
— Shelley Duvall Archive (@shelleyduvallxo) July 11, 2024
1949 – 2024 💗 pic.twitter.com/x7THDKDfEr
Duvall built the foundations of her career through her collaborations with director Robert Altman, beginning with her debut in “Brewster McCloud.” She continued to excel in his films “McCabe & Mrs. Miller” and “Thieves Like Us,” and was a standout in the ensemble cast of “Nashville” in 1975.
Her performance in “Nashville” led to roles in “Buffalo Bill and the Indians” and her acclaimed performance in “3 Women,” for which she won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress and received a BAFTA nomination.
However, Duvall is most well known for her role in ‘The Shining’, where she portrayed Wendy Torrance, the wife of homicidal hotel caretaker Jack Torrance, played by Jack Nicholson.
Polaroid of Shelley Duvall from the set of 'The Shining', 1980 pic.twitter.com/Jx9y7qTU3Q
— cinesthetic. (@TheCinesthetic) July 11, 2024
The iconic scene of Nicholson’s character breaking through a bathroom door with an axe while Duvall’s wide-eyed Wendy looks on in absolute terror is one of cinema’s most memorable.
Her performance in 3 Women caught the attention of Stanley Kubrick, who then cast her as Wendy Torrance in the 1980 psychological horror film which is based on Stephen King’s novel.
The film’s production was notoriously demanding, with Kubrick requiring up to 100 takes for some scenes.
RIP to the iconic scream queen, Shelley Duvall 🖤 (1949-2024) pic.twitter.com/tJ8gg0I9vH
— Monkeypaw Productions (@Monkeypaw) July 11, 2024
In 2023, Duvall returned to acting after many years, appearing in the indie horror movie “The Forest Hills,” though it was not widely available.
She is survived by her partner, musician Dan Gilroy, and her brothers, Scott, Stewart, and Shane.
