Shelley Duvall
Acting
Shelley Alexis Duvall (July 7, 1949 – July 11, 2024) was an American actress known for her portrayal of distinctive, often eccentric characters. She was the recipient of several accolades, including a Cannes Film Festival Award and a Peabody Award and nominations for a British Academy Film Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards. Born in Texas, Duvall began acting after being discovered by director Robert Altman, who was impressed with her upbeat presence and cast her in the black comedy film 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). Her breakthrough came with Altman's cult film Nashville (1975), and she earned widespread acclaim with the drama 3 Women (1977), also directed by Altman, for which she won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress and earned a nomination for the British Academy Film Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. That same year, she appeared in a supporting role (as a writer 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-action feature version of Popeye (1980) and Wendy Torrance in Stanley Kubrick's horror film The Shining (1980). 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 and youth in the latter half of the 1980s, notably creating and hosting the programs Faerie Tale Theatre (1982–1987), Tall Tales & Legends (1985–1987) (which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 1988), and Nightmare Classics (1989). Duvall sporadically worked in acting throughout the 1990s, notably playing supporting roles in Steven Soderbergh's thriller The Underneath (1995) and the Henry James adaptation The Portrait of a Lady (1996), directed by Jane Campion. 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 21-year hiatus from acting, Duvall returned to acting in the horror film The Forest Hills. She died due to complications from diabetes at her home in Blanco, southwest of Austin, Texas.
Known for
Acting105
movieDreams in the Attic
2025
Aunt Nellie
movieShine On: The Forgotten Shining Location
2024
Self (archive footage)
movieKubrick by Kubrick
2020
Self (archive footage)
movieSaturday Night Live: The Best of Dan Aykroyd
2005
Bad Ballet Dancer (archive footage)
movieManna from Heaven
2002
Detective Dubrinski
movieThe 4th Floor
1999
Martha Stewart
movieHome Fries
1998
Mrs. Jackson
tvThe Hughleys
1998
Mrs. Crump
movieRussell Mulcahy’s Tale of the Mummy
1998
Edith Butros
movieBig Monster on Campus
1998
Mrs. Stein
movieAlone
1997
Estelle
movieRocketMan
1997
Mrs. Randall (uncredited)
movieTwilight of the Ice Nymphs
1997
Amelia Glahn
movieChanging Habits
1997
Sister Agatha
tvThe Adventures of Shirley Holmes
1997
Alice Flitt
movieThe Portrait of a Lady
1996
Countess Gemini
tvWishbone
1995
Renee Lassiter
tvAaahh!!! Real Monsters
1994
Ocka (voice)
tvFrasier
1993
Caroline (voice)
tvShelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories
1992
Shelley Duvall
movieSuburban Commando
1991
Jenny Wilcox
movieFrogs!
1991
Annie
movieMother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme
1990
Little Bo Peep
movieThe Dancing Princesses
1987
Self - Host
movieRoxanne
1987
Dixie
movieThe Little Mermaid
1987
Self - Host
movieFaerie Tale Theatre: Rip Van Winkle
1987
Self - Host (uncredited)
movieFrog
1987
Mrs. Anderson
movieDavy Crockett
1986
Self / Host
movieJohn Henry
1986
Self / Host
moviePonce de Leon
1986
Self / Host
movieJohnny Appleseed
1986
Self / Host
tvL.A. Law
1986
Margo Stanton
movieThe Princess Who Had Never Laughed
1986
Self - Host
movieAladdin and His Wonderful Lamp
1986
Self - Host
movieLily
1986
Lily Miniver
movieDarlin' Clementine
1986
Self / Host / Clementine
moviePecos Bill
1986
Self / Host
movieAnnie Oakley
1985
The Host
movieThe Emperor's New Clothes
1985
Self - Host
tvThe Twilight Zone
1985
Margaret (segment "A Saucer of Loneliness")
movieThe Legend of Sleepy Hollow
1985
Self / Host
tvTall Tales & Legends
1985
Self - Host / Clementine
moviePuss in Boots
1985
Self - Host / Narrator
movieCinderella
1985
Self - Host
tvThe Ray Bradbury Theater
1985
Leota Bean
movieThe Pied Piper of Hamelin
1985
Self - Host
movieThe Snow Queen
1985
Host / Narrator (voice)
movieFrankenweenie
1984
Susan Frankenstein
WonderWorks
1984
Laura Burroughs
movieThe Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers
1984
Self - Host (uncredited)
movieBeauty and the Beast
1984
Self - Host (uncredited)
movieSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs
1984
Snow White's Mother / Self - Host
movieThumbelina
1984
Self - Host (uncredited)
moviePinocchio
1984
Self - Host (uncredited)
movieThe Princess and the Pea
1984
Self - Host (uncredited)
movieGoldilocks and the Three Bears
1984
Self - Host (uncredited)
movieHansel and Gretel
1983
Self - Host (uncredited)
movieLittle Red Riding Hood
1983
Self - Host (uncredited)
movieJack and the Beanstalk
1983
Self - Host (uncredited)
movieSleeping Beauty
1983
Self - Host (uncredited)
movieThe Nightingale
1983
Nightingale (voice) / Narrator (voice) / Self - Host
movieRapunzel
1983
Rapunzel / Marie, Rapunzel's Mother / Self - Host
movieRumpelstiltskin
1982
The Miller's Daughter / Self - Host
movieThe Tale of the Frog Prince
1982
Self - Host (uncredited)
tvFaerie Tale Theatre
1982
The Miller's Daughter / Marie / Rapunzel / Narrator / Nightingale (voice) / Snow White's Mother / Narrator (voice) / Self - Host
movieTime Bandits
1981
Dame Pansy / Pansy
moviePopeye
1980
Olive Oyl
movieThe Shining
1980
Wendy Torrance
tvFridays
1980
Self
movieThe Paul Simon Special
1977
Joan of Arc
movie3 Women
1977
Mildred "Millie" Lammoreaux
movieBuffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson
1976
The First Lady (Mrs. Cleveland)
tvSaturday Night Live
1975
Self - Host / Patron (uncredited) / Self (uncredited)
movieNashville
1975
L.A. Joan
movieThieves Like Us
1974
Keechie
tvCannon
1971
Liz Christie
movieBrewster McCloud
1971
Suzanne
movieMcCabe & Mrs. Miller
1971
Ida Coyle
Production45
movieShelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories: The Christmas Witch
1994
Executive Producer
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
1994
Executive Producer
movieMother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme
1990
Executive Producer, Casting
movieDinner at Eight
1989
Producer
movieThe Eyes of the Panther
1989
Executive Producer
movieThe Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
1989
Executive Producer
movieCarmilla
1989
Executive Producer
movieThe Turn of the Screw
1989
Executive Producer
movieThe Dancing Princesses
1987
Producer, Executive Producer
movieThe Little Mermaid
1987
Executive Producer
movieFaerie Tale Theatre: Rip Van Winkle
1987
Producer, Executive Producer
movieFrog
1987
Executive Producer
movieDavy Crockett
1986
Producer
movieJohn Henry
1986
Producer
moviePonce de Leon
1986
Producer
movieJohnny Appleseed
1986
Producer
movieThe Princess Who Had Never Laughed
1986
Producer, Executive Producer
movieAladdin and His Wonderful Lamp
1986
Executive Producer
moviePopples
1986
Executive Producer
movieDarlin' Clementine
1986
Executive Producer
movieCasey at the Bat
1986
Producer
moviePecos Bill
1986
Producer
movieAnnie Oakley
1985
Producer
movieThe Emperor's New Clothes
1985
Producer, Executive Producer
movieThe Legend of Sleepy Hollow
1985
Executive Producer, Producer
tvTall Tales & Legends
1985
Executive Producer
moviePuss in Boots
1985
Producer, Executive Producer
movieCinderella
1985
Producer, Executive Producer
movieThe Pied Piper of Hamelin
1985
Producer, Executive Producer
movieThe Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers
1984
Producer, Executive Producer
movieBeauty and the Beast
1984
Producer, Executive Producer
movieSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs
1984
Producer, Executive Producer
movieThumbelina
1984
Producer, Executive Producer
moviePinocchio
1984
Producer, Executive Producer
movieThe Princess and the Pea
1984
Producer, Executive Producer
movieGoldilocks and the Three Bears
1984
Producer, Executive Producer
movieHansel and Gretel
1983
Producer, Executive Producer
movieLittle Red Riding Hood
1983
Producer, Executive Producer
movieJack and the Beanstalk
1983
Producer, Executive Producer
movieSleeping Beauty
1983
Producer, Executive Producer
movieThe Nightingale
1983
Executive Producer, Producer
movieRapunzel
1983
Executive Producer, Producer
movieRumpelstiltskin
1982
Producer, Executive Producer
movieThe Tale of the Frog Prince
1982
Producer, Executive Producer
tvFaerie Tale Theatre
1982
Executive Producer
Creator2
tvNightmare Classics
1989
Creator
tvTall Tales & Legends
1985
Creator
Crew2
movieFrankenweenie
2012
Thanks
Art1
movie3 Women
1977
Set Decoration
Writing1
moviePopples
1986
Story