Known For
Acting
Known Credits
113
Gender
Female
Birthday
July 7, 1949 (77 years old)
Place of Birth
Fort Worth, Texas, USA
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.
| 2025 | Dreams in the Atticas Aunt Nellie | |
| 2024 | Shine On: The Forgotten Shining Locationas Self (archive footage) | |
| 2020 | Kubrick by Kubrickas Self (archive footage) | |
| 2005 | Saturday Night Live: The Best of Dan Aykroydas Bad Ballet Dancer (archive footage) | |
| 2002 | Manna from Heavenas Detective Dubrinski | |
| 2001 | Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Picturesas Self | |
| 1999 | The 4th Flooras Martha Stewart | |
| 1998 | Home Friesas Mrs. Jackson | |
| 1998 | Maggie Wintersas Muriel | |
| 1998 | The Hughleysas Mrs. Crump | |
| 1998 | Casper Meets Wendyas Gabby | |
| 1998 | Russell Mulcahy’s Tale of the Mummyas Edith Butros | |
| 1998 | Big Monster on Campusas Mrs. Stein | |
| 1997 | Aloneas Estelle | |
| 1997 | RocketManas Mrs. Randall (uncredited) | |
| 1997 | Twilight of the Ice Nymphsas Amelia Glahn | |
| 1997 | Guy Maddin: Waiting for Twilightas Self | |
| 1997 | Changing Habitsas Sister Agatha | |
| 1997 | The Adventures of Shirley Holmesas Alice Flitt | |
| 1997 | Shadow Zone: My Teacher Ate My Homeworkas Mrs. Fink | |
| 1996 | The Portrait of a Ladyas Countess Gemini | |
| 1996 | Robert Altman: Giggle And Give Inas Self | |
| 1995 | Wishboneas Renee Lassiter | |
| 1995 | The Underneathas Nurse | |
| 1994 | Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories: The Christmas Witchas Host | |
| 1994 | Aaahh!!! Real Monstersas Ocka (voice) | |
| 1994 | Mrs. Piggle-Wiggleas Potsi | |
| 1994 | Aliens for Breakfastas Teacher | |
| 1993 | Frasieras Caroline (voice) | |
| 1992 | Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Storiesas Shelley Duvall | |
| 1991 | Suburban Commandoas Jenny Wilcox | |
| 1991 | Frogs!as Annie | |
| 1990 | The Chipmunks Rockin' Through The Decadesas Self | |
| 1990 | Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhymeas Little Bo Peep | |
| 1988 | Earthquake Survivalas Self | |
| 1987 | The Dancing Princessesas Self - Host | |
| 1987 | Roxanneas Dixie | |
| 1987 | The Little Mermaidas Self - Host | |
| 1987 | Faerie Tale Theatre: Rip Van Winkleas Self - Host (uncredited) | |
| 1987 | Frogas Mrs. Anderson | |
| 1986 | Davy Crockettas Self / Host | |
| 1986 | John Henryas Self / Host | |
| 1986 | Ponce de Leonas Self / Host | |
| 1986 | Johnny Appleseedas Self / Host | |
| 1986 | L.A. Lawas Margo Stanton | |
| 1986 | Mr. Bill's Real Life Adventuresas Self | |
| 1986 | The Princess Who Had Never Laughedas Self - Host | |
| 1986 | Aladdin and His Wonderful Lampas Self - Host | |
| 1986 | Lilyas Lily Miniver | |
| 1986 | Darlin' Clementineas Self / Host / Clementine | |
| 1986 | Casey at the Batas Host | |
| 1986 | Pecos Billas Self / Host | |
| 1985 | Annie Oakleyas The Host | |
| 1985 | The Emperor's New Clothesas Self - Host | |
| 1985 | The Twilight Zoneas Margaret (segment "A Saucer of Loneliness") | |
| 1985 | The Legend of Sleepy Hollowas Self / Host | |
| 1985 | Tall Tales & Legendsas Clementine | |
| 1985 | Tall Tales & Legendsas Self - Host | |
| 1985 | Puss in Bootsas Self - Host / Narrator | |
| 1985 | Cinderellaas Self - Host | |
| 1985 | The Ray Bradbury Theateras Leota Bean | |
| 1985 | The Pied Piper of Hamelinas Self - Host | |
| 1985 | The Snow Queenas Host / Narrator (voice) | |
| 1984 | Frankenweenieas Susan Frankenstein | |
| 1984 | Bookeras Laura | |
| 1984 | WonderWorksas Laura Burroughs | |
| 1984 | The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shiversas Self - Host (uncredited) | |
| 1984 | The Secret World of the Very Youngas | |
| 1984 | Beauty and the Beastas Self - Host (uncredited) | |
| 1984 | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfsas Snow White's Mother / Self - Host | |
| 1984 | Thumbelinaas Self - Host (uncredited) | |
| 1984 | Pinocchioas Self - Host (uncredited) | |
| 1984 | The Princess and the Peaas Self - Host (uncredited) | |
| 1984 | Goldilocks and the Three Bearsas Self - Host (uncredited) | |
| 1983 | Hansel and Gretelas Self - Host (uncredited) | |
| 1983 | Little Red Riding Hoodas Self - Host (uncredited) | |
| 1983 | Jack and the Beanstalkas Self - Host (uncredited) | |
| 1983 | Sleeping Beautyas Self - Host (uncredited) | |
| 1983 | The Fairest of Them Allas Self | |
| 1983 | The Nightingaleas Nightingale (voice) / Narrator (voice) / Self - Host | |
| 1983 | Rapunzelas Rapunzel / Marie, Rapunzel's Mother / Self - Host | |
| 1982 | Rumpelstiltskinas The Miller's Daughter / Self - Host | |
| 1982 | The Tale of the Frog Princeas Self - Host (uncredited) | |
| 1982 | Faerie Tale Theatreas Marie / Rapunzel | |
| 1982 | Faerie Tale Theatreas Narrator (voice) | |
| 1982 | Faerie Tale Theatreas Narrator / Nightingale (voice) | |
| 1982 | Faerie Tale Theatreas Self - Host | |
| 1982 | Faerie Tale Theatreas Snow White's Mother | |
| 1982 | Faerie Tale Theatreas The Miller's Daughter | |
| 1982 | Twilight Theatreas | |
| 1981 | Time Banditsas Dame Pansy / Pansy | |
| 1980 | Popeyeas Olive Oyl | |
| 1980 | Making 'The Shining'as Self | |
| 1980 | The Shiningas Wendy Torrance | |
| 1980 | Fridaysas Self | |
| 1977 | The Paul Simon Specialas Joan of Arc | |
| 1977 | 3 Womenas Mildred "Millie" Lammoreaux | |
| 1977 | Annie Hallas Pam | |
| 1976 | Bernice Bobs Her Hairas Bernice | |
| 1976 | Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lessonas The First Lady (Mrs. Cleveland) | |
| 1975 | Saturday Night Liveas Patron (uncredited) | |
| 1975 | Saturday Night Liveas Self (uncredited) | |
| 1975 | Saturday Night Liveas Self - Host | |
| 1975 | Nashvilleas L.A. Joan | |
| 1974 | Spécial cinémaas Self | |
| 1974 | Thieves Like Usas Keechie | |
| 1971 | Film '72as Self | |
| 1971 | Cannonas Liz Christie | |
| 1971 | Brewster McCloudas Suzanne | |
| 1971 | McCabe & Mrs. Milleras Ida Coyle | |
| Hello, I'm Shelley Duvallas Self | ||
| Howl: Inside the Forest Hillsas Self | ||
| The Forest Hillsas Mama |