Shelley Duvall, the actress who became famous for her role as waifish Wendy Torrence in The Shining has passed away. She was 75. Deadline reports that Duvall died at her Texas home from complications due to diabetes.
Her longtime partner Dan Gilroy confirmed her death in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter.
“My dear, sweet, wonderful life partner and friend left us,” he said. “Too much suffering lately, now she’s free. Fly away, beautiful Shelley.”
Duvall was a favorite hire for director Robert Altman. She starred in several of his films most notably in Brewster McCloud and Nashville. She also was cast as Olive Oyl opposite Robin Willaims in Altman’s 1980 musical Popeye.
But perhaps her most famous role was in The Shining, a film by Stanley Kubrick famously maladapted from a Stephen King novel of the same name. She has said in interviews that it was a grueling shoot and Kubrick pushed her to her limits that led to some residual trauma.
On the small screen, she was the host of Showtime’s Faerie Tale Theatre, a fantasy series that ran from 1982 to 1987.
Her star power began to fade in the 90s and she became increasingly more reclusive. By the 2000s she had suffered some medical issues which led her to retire from the industry.
Later on, it became apparent that her mental health was at risk and it was reported that she suffered from schizoaffective disorder. Some fans posted their public interactions with the actress on social media in which she exhibited signs of being homeless.
However, the legendary star will always be remembered as one of Hollywood’s elite. She took risks and had a range that spanned from comedy to drama, to horror. She was nominated for several prestigious industry awards including a BAFTA for her role in 1977’s 3 Women.
Shelley Duvall, a horror movie icon, dead at 75.