As the year comes to a close, we look back to see some of the tragic events and losses that occurred throughout the year. One of the most memorable ones happened on July 11th, when actress Shelley Duvall passed away.
Duvall was most known for her unique, eccentric characters, her most popular work being in the films “The Shining”, “Popeye”, “Roxanne” and many more.
Shelley was born on July 7th, 1949 in Fort Worth, Texas. After being noticed by the successful Robert Altman, her first role came in the comedy film “Brewster McCloud” when she was just 20 years old. She quickly began to star in more films, getting her first recognition when she won the Cannes Film Festival award for Best Actress for her work in “3 Women”.
What is commonly considered her two most notable works both happened in 1980, that is of course, “The Shining” and “Popeye”. But the effects of “The Shining” would go on to haunt her for the rest of her life, changing not only her career but her whole life…
In an interview with Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times, Duvall described the film as, “Almost unbearable”. And hearing about the filming process, one could understand why. The director, Stanley Kubrick, is known for his artistic, detail-oriented films.
Being a perfectionist made him craft beautiful films, but it also made his actors and actresses suffer through retake after retake. Many of the scenes in “The Shining” had to be done over 100 times until Kubrick was satisfied. Kubrick’s perfectionism came off as cruel to Duvall, who believed she was constantly being berated instead of just being told nicely.
The emotional aspect of Duvall’s character specifically made the tension even more constant. She claimed that she would have to spend hours a day crying in what could be a 16-hour long shift.
“The Shining” was considered one of the best horror movies of all time, the acting being a major cause for this distinction. However, the harsh production style is sometimes believed to be one of the causes of the mental issues that Shelley faced in her late life.
These mental issues came to life in a 2016 interview with Dr. Phill, where Duvall made some claims about still thinking Robin Williams, her costar in “Popeye” was still alive along with some other far-stretched claims, and explaining how she knew she was struggling and needed help.
The common speculation is that Duvall was diagnosed with Schizoaffective disorder, which is similar to schizophrenia, but different as it is a mix of the symptoms of schizophrenia and is based more on mood issues.
Duvall also struggled with diabetes for a lot of her later life, and the complications from this ended up being the cause of her death.
Duvall will be remembered forever for her roles that inspired many, “Halloween” actress Jamie Lee Curtis is just one of the people who will always look up to her.
The creativity she induced in her roles was true art, and it is clear that her impact and role in the film industry were monumental. Having an actress like Shelley Duvall is something that may never happen again.
