Shelley Duvall, an actress who co-starred with Jack Nicholson in Stanley Kubrick’s famous film The Shining, died on Thursday at the age of 75. Duvall died in her sleep at her home in Blanco, Texas, of complications from diabetes, according to her partner since 1989, musician Dan Gilroy.

“My dear, sweet, wonderful partner and friend has left us. She has suffered too much lately, now she is free. Fly high, beautiful Shelley,” Gilroy told reporters.

The American star also appeared in seven films directed by her mentor Robert Altman, including Popeye, Nashville and 3 Women. Her career took off in the 1970s, though after 2000 she began to distance herself from the industry.

Shelley Duvall’s legacy

Born on 7 July 1949 in Fort Worth, Texas, Shelley Alexis Duvall was the daughter of Bob, a cattle auctioneer turned lawyer, and Bobbie, a real estate agent. She was initially interested in scientific research before being discovered by members of Robert Altman’s team while attending South Texas Junior College in Houston.

Her big screen debut came with the film Flying is for the Birds (1970), a black comedy directed by Altman. This collaboration was the beginning of a fruitful professional relationship with the famous filmmaker, who also cast her for roles in McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971), The Delinquents (1974) and Nashville (1975).

One of the best works of her career was 3 Women, another collaboration with Altman that earned her a Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival and a BAFTA nomination. In this psychological drama, Duvall played Millie Lamoureaux, a charismatic spa worker in a complex interaction with two other ladies of dissimilar personalities.

In 1977, Shelley appeared as a Rolling Stone reporter in Woody Allen’s feature film Annie Hall, where she met musician Paul Simon, with whom she had a two-year relationship.

Three years later, Duvall became Olivia Olivo in the adaptation of Popeye directed by Altman. A film in which she shared scenes with Robin Williams. The film now gets mixed reviews, but at the time critics were unforgiving of its development.

His character in “The Shining”

But the role for which Shelley is most remembered, and the most emotionally demanding for her, was that of Wendy Torrance in The Shining (1980), the film adaptation of Stephen King’s novel directed by Stanley Kubrick.

In several interviews, the actress described working with the rigorous filmmaker as arduous, as he demanded tireless reshoots with a very high emotional intensity because of the story. Her character also represented the despair and terror of her husband’s behaviour.

The iconic baseball bat scene was repeated 127 times in the filming, setting a Guinness World Record for the most retakes of a scene with dialogue. Duvall admitted that this experience was one of the most gruelling.

“After a while, your body rebels. It says, ‘Stop doing this to me. I don’t want to cry every day,'” Duvall recalled in conversation with The Hollywood Reporter in 2021. “Sometimes, just that thought alone would make me cry. Waking up very early on a Monday morning and realising I had to cry all day because I was scheduled like this…. I would just start sobbing.

As for the other iconic “door” scene, it took three days to film and almost 60 doors were used. Mostly improvised, Duvall was largely in the dark about what lay ahead. His panicked screams are of real terror as Jack Nicholson broke down the door; it is even rumoured that his desperate cries of “please, Jack” are directed at the actor, rather than his character.

The actress retired from film

During the 1980s, Duvall moved into television production, creating anthology children’s series. He went on to appear sporadically in other feature films, including Jane Campion’s Portrait of a Lady (1996) and Steven Soderbergh’s The Underneath (1996).

However, in 2002 she decided to retire from acting and lead a life away from the spotlight in Texas.

In 2016, his appearance on the show Dr. Phil generated controversy for the way his apparent mental health issues were exposed. However, in a subsequent interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2021, Shelley Duvall appeared much more focused.

Her last acting role was recorded in the indie film The Forest Hills, which had a limited release in 2023. “She was very sweet and kind. She was in great spirits and a true professional,” director Scott Goldberg said of Shelley’s work. “As a fan of The Shining, it was a pleasure to see her laugh.”