RIP: Shelley Duvall
Shelley Duvall died peacefully at her home today. Ms. Duvall’s cause of death was complications from diabetes. Shelley Duvall was 75.
Ms. Duvall was a writer, actress and producer. She was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards:
- 1988 Outstanding Children’s Program for Tall Tales & Legends (shared with Bridget Terry, Fred Fuchs)
- 1992 Outstanding Animated Program (Programming One Hour or Less) for Shelley Duvall’s Bedtime Stories (shared with: Art Leonardi, Carol Davies)
After graduating high school in 1967, Shelley Duvall attended South Texas Junior College. Her major was nutrition and diet therapy. A chance meeting with Robert Altman at a party led to him casting her in Brewster McCloud, a film he was shooting on location in Texas. Altman was so awed by Shelley Duvall’s acting that he cast her in his next three films. Robert Altman wasn’t the only one impressed. Ms. Duvall continued to act in feature films and television until she retired in 2002. Then last year she was coaxed out retirement to appear in The Forest Hills.
Television projects that feature Shelley Duvall include: Cannon; Love American Style; Baretta; Saturday Night Live; The Paul Simon Special; Twilight Theater; Faerie Tale Theater (3 episodes); The Twilight Zone; Tall Tales & Legends; Mother Goose Rock ‘n’ Rhyme; The Ray Bradbury Theater; L.A. Law; Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and Frasier.
Feature films that feature Shelley Duvall include: Brewster McCloud; McCabe & Mrs. Miller; Thieves Like Us; Nashville; Buffalo Bill and the Indians or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson; Annie Hall; 3 Women; The Shinning; Popeye; Time Bandits; Roxanne; Suburban Commando; The Portrait of a Lady and The Forest Hills.
The first time I saw Shelley Duvall was in The Shinning. As perfect as Ms. Duvall was for that role, I think there was another part that she was even better suited to play. That was as Olive Oyl in Popeye which is my favorite Shelley Duvall performance.
Out thoughts and prayers go out to Shelley Duvall’s family, friends and fans.
