Shelley Duvall Died at 75 – Her Last Years in Photos Stunned Users

Hollywood recently lost one of its iconic movie stars from the golden age, Shelley Duvall. Her last years were filled with reminiscent memories of her career despite enduring health issues over time. Take a look at Duvall’s appearance before she died, which shocked many.

She appeared in “McCabe and Mrs. Miller” (1971), “Thieves Like Us” (1974), and “Nashville” (1975). Duvall continued to thrive with a lead role in “2 Women” (1977) for which she won a Best Actress Award at the 1977 Cannes Film Festival.

However, it was her stint in the classic 1980 horror film “The Shining” opposite Jack Nicholson that catapulted her to superstardom. Duvall played Wendy Torrance in the movie and part of her experience was not thrilling.

The film was directed by Stanley Kubrick who psychologically tormented her on set. This caused Duvall distress and trauma which affected her mental state.

Kubrick chose to cast her after seeing her emotional performance in “3 Women.” He said to the star, “I like the way you cry.” As such, Duvall had to reach a state of hysteria, often crying for 12 hours a day.

Moreover, Kubrick’s rigorous filming schedule demanded six days a week, with up to 16-hour days. While Nicholson rented a home in London, Duvall chose a flat near the studio in Hertfordshire.

Accompanied only by a dog and two birds, she fully committed to her role, ensuring she gave her best performance. “The Shining” holds a Guinness World Record for the most retakes of a scene with dialogue.

This record-breaking scene required 148 takes. Meanwhile, another challenging scene was the staircase one, which was shot 127 times.

Duvall once noted, “It was a difficult scene, but it turned out to be one of the best scenes in the film.” Despite the demanding nature of the shoot, she cherished part of the experience.

In 1982, two years after “The Shining” brought her fame, the producer launched her production company, Platypus, followed by Think Entertainment. She created kid’s TV shows, most notably “Faerie Tale Theatre,” featuring an all-star cast including Robin Williams, Christopher Reeve, Bernadette Peters, and Mick Jagger.

For over two decades, Duvall’s career was on pause. Her final film role before taking a break was in the comedy “Manna From Heaven,” as she mysteriously retired despite a successful journey as an actor and producer.

She reflected on her fame in an interview, saying, “I was a star; I had leading roles. People think it’s just aging, but it’s not. It’s violence.” When asked to elaborate on “violence,” she responded with a question.

“How would you feel if people were really nice, and then, suddenly, on a dime they turn on you? You would never believe it unless it happens to you,” Duvall noted.

Her disappearance from the limelight was not due to a rumored breakdown from her treatment on the set of “The Shining.” Instead, it may reportedly be linked to two significant events that occurred in her life apart from winning a Cable Ace Award in 1994.