Shelley Duvall: A Life in Film and Beyond
Eccentric Star and Altman Collaborator
Shelley Alexis Duvall, born July 7, 1949, was an American actress known for her portrayal of distinctive and often eccentric characters. Her lithesome features and quirky screen personality made her one of the biggest film stars of the 1970s.
Early Life and Career
Duvall was born in Fort Worth, Texas, to Bobbie Ruth Massengale (1929-2020), a real estate agent. Her father was Robert Reed Duvall Jr., an attorney. Duvall's breakthrough role came in Robert Altman's 1970 film, MASH, where she played a naive and vulnerable army nurse.
Collaboration with Robert Altman
Duvall went on to star in several more of Altman's films, including McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971), Thieves Like Us (1974), and Nashville (1975). Her distinctive and sometimes unhinged performances in these films earned her critical acclaim and a cult following.
The Shining and Later Career
In 1980, Duvall starred in Stanley Kubrick's psychological horror masterpiece, The Shining, opposite Jack Nicholson. Her portrayal of the isolated and terrified Wendy Torrance has become iconic in the horror genre.
Duvall's career took a downturn in the 1990s and 2000s, as she struggled with mental health issues and substance abuse. In 2021, she passed away at the age of 71.
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