Shelley Duvall Movies and TV Shows: A Look Back at What Made the Cult-Favorite ’70s Star So Special
Look back at the stunning actress' career in the wake of her passing
The ’70s was a time of great creativity and experimentation in cinema, and many of the movie stars that emerged in the era possessed a quirky form of charisma that still feels fresh and exciting today.
Chief among those stars was the singular Shelley Duvall, a Texas girl who was discovered by the legendary director Robert Altman at 21 and became a fixture in his freewheeling and highly influential films.
Duvall made her screen debut in Altman’s 1970 film Brewster McCloud and worked until 2002. After a long time without any appearances from the star, people began to wonder if she was okay, and a controversial 2016 Dr. Phil appearance, which was her first time being seen in years, added to concern.
This TV appearance was widely criticized, with many pointing out its sensationalism and the fact that it likely didn’t present the whole picture of who Duvall really was. On top of that, for decades there had been rumors that Duvall had been traumatized during the filming of her signature role in Stanley Kubrick‘s 1980 horror classic The Shining, leading her to retreat from the public eye.
The truth isn’t so cut and dry, and a New York Times profile showed Duvall to be living a quiet, no-frills life in Texas. Sadly, fans were met with the news of her passing in July 2024 due to diabetes complications.
Shelley Duvall movies and TV shows
Here’s a look back at some of the most memorable Shelley Duvall movies and TV shows.
1. Brewster McCloud (1970)
Shelley Duvall was known as “Texas Twiggy” thanks to her thin frame and colorful style, and Robert Altman’s Brewster McCloud introduced the distinctive star to the world, in the role of the protagonist’s love interest.
The next year, she had a small role in another one of Altman’s movies, playing a widow who becomes a prostitute in the Western McCabe & Mrs. Miller.
2. Thieves Like Us (1973)
In her next Altman film, Duvall played a woman in a ’30s criminal couple, in a Bonnie and Clyde-like story of lovers on the run.
She then worked with Altman again in his classic 1975 film Nashville, a sprawling tale of the lives and loves of musicians in the titular city. Duvall played an oh-so-’70s groupie in hot pants. In 1976, she had another small role in an Altman film, playing the First Lady in the 1976 Western Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson.
3. Annie Hall (1977)
Woody Allen‘s classic rom-com Annie Hall marked one of Duvall’s first appearances in a film not directed by Altman. In a small but memorable role, she played a flighty Rolling Stone reporter who has a brief affair with Allen.
Duvall met musician Paul Simon, who also had a small role in the film, during the shoot, and they dated for two years.
4. 3 Women (1977)
In 1977, Altman gave his muse one of her juiciest leading roles, in the pastel-hued psychological drama 3 Women. Duvall played an outgoing woman who captures the attention of a more timid woman who’s new in town. Soon drama arises as their personalities start to merge in mysterious ways, and Duvall turns out to not quite be what she originally seemed.
Altman famously said the movie came to him in a dream, and he knew immediately that Duvall had to star in it.
5. The Shining (1980)
The Shining featured Duvall in the unforgettable role of Jack Nicholson‘s wife. Her journey from timid to terrorized is hard to shake, and she screamed like no actress had ever screamed before.
Director Stanley Kubrick was famous for his demanding shooting schedule and exacting style, and there were many rumors that Duvall’s fear in the film was a genuine byproduct of working with the director.
This wasn’t actually the case. While the making the of the film was undeniably challenging, it didn’t leave Duvall with lasting trauma, and the New York Times profile of the actress reported, “she continues to have only good things to say about that intense yearlong shoot in London and her admiration for Mr. Kubrick.”
6. Popeye (1980): Shelley Duvall Movies and TV Shows
With her skinny body, wide eyes and prominent teeth, Duvall was the perfect choice to play Olive Oyl in Altman’s live-action musical version of Popeye. The movie, which initially received mixed reviews but came to be more appreciated over time, gave Duvall a great showcase for her physical comedy abilities, and it couldn’t have been more different from The Shining.
7. Time Bandits: Shelley Duvall Movies and TV Shows
Duvall had a supporting role as a goofy Dame in this fantastical time travel film from the minds behind Monty Python.
8. Roxanne (1987)
In Roxanne, a modern-day rom-com spin on the classic play Cyrano de Bergerac, Duvall played Steve Martin‘s close friend who offers advice on his romantic pursuits.
Roxanne was one of Duvall’s last prominent movie roles. In the ’90s, she appeared in the movies Suburban Commando (1991), The Portrait a Lady (1996), Changing Habits (1997), Twilight of the Ice Nymphs (1997) and Home Fries (1998), but for the most part her films after the ’80s aren’t as talked about as her earlier work.
Shelley Duvall movies and TV shows: Her second act
Shelley Duvall had an intriguing second act starting in 1982, when she founded her own production company with the mission of creating fun children’s TV shows. Her show Faerie Tale Theatre, which she hosted from 1982 to 1987, featured Duvall and a variety of A-list stars retelling classic fairytales. She then created another series in a similar style, Tall Tales & Legends, which ran from 1985 to 1987.
Duvall’s devotion to making visually dynamic TV for kids continued as the decade went on, and she then created Nightmare Classics, a less successful series that ran in 1989. The ’90s brought Shelley Duvall’s Bedtime Stories (1992-1993) and Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle (1994). She also played Little Bo Peep in Mother Goose Rock ‘n’ Rhyme, a 1990 Disney Channel TV movie filled with an eclectic cast of musicians and comedy stars.
Duvall was often misunderstood over the years, but her gloriously off-kilter screen presence and commitment to creativity deserve to be celebrated.
