Shelley Duvall
Shelley Alexis Duvall (born July 7, 1949) is an American actress and producer known for her portrayals of distinct, often eccentric characters. She is the recipient of several accolades, including a Cannes Film Festival Award, a Peabody Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards. Born in Texas, Duvall had no acting experience growing up in Houston. She was an honor student in school and sold perfumes at a department store, but being an actress never crossed her mind. Duvall recently quit a short stint studying science at a local college, when she was discovered by Robert Altman's crew at a party. Altman was impressed with her upbeat presence and cast her in Brewster McCloud (1970). Despite her hesitance towards becoming an actress, she continued to work with Altman, appearing in McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) and Thieves Like Us (1974). It was her involvement in Thieves that solidified her desire to pursue acting. Her breakthrough came with Altman's cult film Nashville (1975), and she earned widespread acclaim with the drama 3 Women (1977), as the self-absorbed Millie Lammoreaux, for which she won Best Actress at Cannes. That same year she appeared in a supporting role (as a reporter for Rolling Stone) in Woody Allen's satirical romantic comedy Annie Hall (1977) and hosted Saturday Night Live. In the 1980s, Duvall became famous for her leading roles, which include Olive Oyl in Altman's live-active feature version of Popeye (1980) and in Stanley Kubrick's horror film The Shining (1980) as Wendy Torrance. She initially received negative reviews for her performance in the latter, but received widespread acclaim for it in the decades following its release. She appeared in Terry Gilliam's fantasy film Time Bandits (1981), the short comedy horror film Frankenweenie (1984) and the comedy Roxanne (1987). She ventured into producing television programming aimed at children in the latter half of the 1980s, notably creating and hosting the programs Faerie Tale Theatre (1982–1987) and Tall Tales & Legends (1985–1987). In 1988, Shelley founded Think Entertainment, a production company focused on bringing quality educational content to children. The company, which dissolved in 1993, produced Nightmare Classics (1989), Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme (1990), Bedtime Stories (1992), and Mrs. Piggle Wiggle (1994). Duvall sporadically worked in acting throughout the 1990s, notably playing supporting roles in Steven Soderbergh's thriller The Underneath (1995) and The Portrait of a Lady (1996), directed by Jane Campion. She also appeared in more children's movies like Suburban Commando (1991), Frogs (1992), and Casper Meets Wendy (1998). In addition to TV and film, Duvall recorded two albums Sweet Dreams (1991) and Merry Christmas (1991), and wrote It's a Bird's Life (1993), a 3DO video game. Amidst all this, the 1994 Northridge earthquake destroyed Duvall's Studio City home and she relocated to Texas to be closer to family. Her last performance was in Manna from Heaven (2002), after which she retired from acting. Duvall for many years kept out of the public media, keeping her personal life generally private; however, her health issues earned significant media coverage. After a 20-year hiatus from acting, Duvall is set to return in an upcoming horror film titled, The Forest Hills (2023).
Known for
ActingBirthday
July 7, 1949Gender
FemaleKnown Movie Credits
111Place of birth
Fort Worth, Texas, USAAlso known as
The Texas Twiggy, Manic MouseCast credits
The Shining
Wendy TorranceAnnie Hall
PamBig Monster on Campus
Mrs. SteinNashville
L.A. JoanPopeye
Olive OylSuburban Commando
Jenny WilcoxRoxanne
DixieThieves Like Us
KeechieHome Fries
Mrs. JacksonBrewster McCloud
SuzanneFrankenweenie
Susan FrankensteinMcCabe & Mrs. Miller
Ida CoyleThe Underneath
Nurse3 Women
Mildred "Millie" LammoreauxTime Bandits
Dame Pansy / PansyMother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme
Little Bo PeepCasper Meets Wendy
GabbyTale of the Mummy
Edith ButrosMaking 'The Shining'
SelfThe 4th Floor
Martha StewartShadow Zone: My Teacher Ate My Homework
Mrs. FinkCrew credits
Beauty and the Beast
Executive Producer, ProducerFrankenweenie
ThanksHansel and Gretel
Executive Producer, ProducerGoldilocks and the Three Bears
Executive Producer, ProducerThe Dancing Princesses
Executive Producer, ProducerSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Executive Producer, ProducerThumbelina
Executive Producer, ProducerSleeping Beauty
Executive Producer, ProducerCinderella
Executive Producer, ProducerThe Emperor's New Clothes
Executive Producer, ProducerThe Little Mermaid
Executive ProducerAladdin and His Wonderful Lamp
Executive Producer, ProducerThe Pied Piper of Hamelin
Executive Producer, ProducerThe Princess Who Had Never Laughed
Executive Producer, ProducerPuss in Boots
Executive Producer, ProducerLittle Red Riding Hood
Executive Producer, ProducerThe Nightingale
Producer, Executive ProducerThe Princess and the Pea
Executive Producer, ProducerThe Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers
Executive Producer, ProducerJack and the Beanstalk
Executive Producer, ProducerPinocchio
Executive Producer, Producer