Iconic Actress Dead at 75

(WatchDogReport.org) – Actress Shelley Duvall, who was most famous for her role in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, has passed away at the age of 75. Duvall’s partner, Dan Gilroy, told reporters that the actress died in her sleep of diabetes-related complications. Gilroy, known for performing with the band Breakfast Club, called Duvall a “wonderful life partner.” He added that she had been suffering recently and that she was now free.

A Texas native, Duvall starred as Wendy Torrance, the tormented wife of Jack Nicholson’s Jack Torrance, in The Shining. For years, allegations and rumors spread that her torment was more than just an act when making the 1980 horror film and that she was subjected to cruelty and abuse by the demanding and perfectionist director. In 2001, Duvall stated that Kubrick could be cruel to her at times and that she would not want to relive the experience. In a 2021 interview, however, she stressed that though he had such a “streak” and often filmed an excessive number of takes, he was also very warm and sympathetic to her.

Nicholson’s then-girlfriend Anjelica Huston claimed that Duvall was struggling emotionally with the content of the film, and that she received limited sympathy from Kubrick. Duvall ended up in the media spotlight due to her struggles with mental illness later in life, notably in a highly controversial interview in 2016 with TV host Dr Phil McGraw. Duvall was battling a mental health crisis at the time, and McGraw was widely condemned for allegedly exploiting the actress for his own gain. The host continued to defend the interview the year before Duvall’s death.

Duvall was known for her lengthy collaboration with director Robert Altman. The actress also starred in Woody Allen’s Annie Hall in 1977 and Terry Gilliam’s Time Bandits in 1981. She claimed she walked away from acting because people she worked with suddenly turned on her between 1970 and 1974.

Duvall was married to artist Bernard Sampson and had a two-year relationship with singer Paul Simon before her long-term relationship with Gilroy. She had no children. In his tribute, Gilroy said, “Fly away, beautiful Shelley.”