Shelley Duvall, Star of 'The Shining' and 'Nashville,' Dead at 71

Actress known for her eccentric characters passed away in her sleep, family says

Duvall's groundbreaking roles helped redefine American cinema in the 1970s and 1980s

Shelley Alexis Duvall, an American actress known for her distinctive and often eccentric characters, has died at the age of 71. Duvall was born in Fort Worth, Texas, on July 7, 1949, and grew up around Houston, where her father was a cattle auctioneer turned lawyer. Duvall's best-known roles include Wendy Torrance in Stanley Kubrick's 1980 horror classic "The Shining," Olive Oyl in Robert Altman's 1980 musical "Popeye," and Meryl Streep's lesbian roommate in Woody Allen's 1977 comedy "Annie Hall.

Duvall's acting career began in the early 1970s with small roles in films such as "Brewster McCloud" (1970) and "McCabe & Mrs. Miller" (1971). She first gained recognition for her portrayal of a naive and vulnerable housewife in Altman's 1975 film "Nashville." Duvall's performance earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, and she went on to star in several more of Altman's films, including "3 Women" (1977), "A Wedding" (1978), and "Popeye" (1980).

Duvall's role as Wendy Torrance in "The Shining" is perhaps her most iconic performance. She plays the wife of Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson), a writer who slowly descends into madness while snowed in at a remote hotel. Duvall's portrayal of Wendy is both sympathetic and terrifying, and her performance is widely considered one of the greatest in horror cinema. Duvall's performance in "Popeye" is also notable. She plays Olive Oyl as a strong and independent woman, and her performance helped to redefine the character for a new generation of viewers.

Duvall's acting career declined in the 1990s and 2000s, and she spent many years out of the Hollywood spotlight. She made a brief comeback in 2016, appearing in the independent film "The Forest Hills" (2016). In recent years, Duvall had been living in a nursing home in Texas. She died in her sleep on July 22, 2023, according to her family.