Shelley Duvall
Known for Acting · 102 credits
- Born
- 1949-07-07
- Died
- 2024-07-11
- Place of birth
- Fort Worth, Texas, USA
- Also known as
- The Texas Twiggy · Manic Mouse · Shelley Alexis Duvall
Biography
Shelley Alexis Duvall (July 7, 1949 – July 11, 2024) was an American actress known for her portrayal of distinctive, often eccentric characters. She was the recipient of several accolades, including a Cannes Film Festival Award and a Peabody Award and nominations for a British Academy Film Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards.
Born in Texas, Duvall began acting after being discovered by director Robert Altman, who was impressed with her upbeat presence and cast her in the black comedy film Brewster McCloud (1970). Despite her hesitance towards becoming an actress, she continued to work with Altman, appearing in McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) and Thieves Like Us (1974). Her breakthrough came with Altman's cult film Nashville (1975), and she earned widespread acclaim with the drama 3 Women (1977), also directed by Altman, for which she won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress and earned a nomination for the British Academy Film Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. That same year, she appeared in a supporting role (as a writer for Rolling Stone) in Woody Allen's satirical romantic comedy Annie Hall (1977) and hosted Saturday Night Live.
In the 1980s, Duvall became famous for her leading roles, which include Olive Oyl in Altman's live-action feature version of Popeye (1980) and Wendy Torrance in Stanley Kubrick's horror film The Shining (1980). She appeared in Terry Gilliam's fantasy film Time Bandits (1981), the short comedy horror film Frankenweenie (1984), and the comedy Roxanne (1987). She ventured into producing television programming aimed at children and youth in the latter half of the 1980s, notably creating and hosting the programs Faerie Tale Theatre (1982–1987), Tall Tales & Legends (1985–1987) (which earned her a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 1988), and Nightmare Classics (1989).
Duvall sporadically worked in acting throughout the 1990s, notably playing supporting roles in Steven Soderbergh's thriller The Underneath (1995) and the Henry James adaptation The Portrait of a Lady (1996), directed by Jane Campion. Her last performance was in Manna from Heaven (2002), after which she retired from acting. Duvall for many years kept out of the public media, keeping her personal life generally private; however, her health issues earned significant media coverage. After a 21-year hiatus from acting, Duvall returned to acting in the horror film The Forest Hills.
Known For
TV Shows (18)
Saturday Night Live
1975
as Self - Host / Patron (uncredited) / Self (uncredited)
Frasier
1993
as Caroline (voice)
L.A. Law
1986
as Margo Stanton
Cannon
1971
as Liz Christie
The Twilight Zone
1985
as Margaret (segment "A Saucer of Loneliness")
Spécial cinéma
1974
as Self
Aaahh!!! Real Monsters
1994
as Ocka (voice)
Faerie Tale Theatre
1982
as The Miller's Daughter / Marie / Rapunzel / Narrator / Nightingale (voice) / Snow White's Mother / Narrator (voice) / Self - Host
The Hughleys
1998
as Mrs. Crump
The Ray Bradbury Theater
1985
as Leota Bean
Tall Tales & Legends
1985
as Self - Host / Clementine
Fridays
1980
as Self
The Adventures of Shirley Holmes
1997
as Alice Flitt
Wishbone
1995
as Renee Lassiter
Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories
1992
as Shelley Duvall
Maggie Winters
1998
as Muriel
WonderWorks
1984
as Laura Burroughs
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
1994
as Potsi
Movies (84)
The Shining
1980
as Wendy Torrance
Annie Hall
1977
as Pam
Popeye
1980
as Olive Oyl
Time Bandits
1981
as Dame Pansy / Pansy
Roxanne
1987
as Dixie
The Portrait of a Lady
1996
as Countess Gemini
RocketMan
1997
as Mrs. Randall (uncredited)
3 Women
1977
as Mildred "Millie" Lammoreaux
Nashville
1975
as L.A. Joan
Casper Meets Wendy
1998
as Gabby
Suburban Commando
1991
as Jenny Wilcox
The Underneath
1995
as Nurse
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
1971
as Ida Coyle
Russell Mulcahy’s Tale of the Mummy
1998
as Edith Butros
Frankenweenie
1984
as Susan Frankenstein
Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson
1976
as The First Lady (Mrs. Cleveland)
Brewster McCloud
1971
as Suzanne
Big Monster on Campus
1998
as Mrs. Stein
Alone
1997
as Estelle
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Dan Aykroyd
2005
as Bad Ballet Dancer (archive footage)
Home Fries
1998
as Mrs. Jackson
Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme
1990
as Little Bo Peep
The 4th Floor
1999
as Martha Stewart
The Nightingale
1983
as Nightingale (voice) / Narrator (voice) / Self - Host
Twilight Theatre
1982
Pinocchio
1984
as Self - Host (uncredited)
Manna from Heaven
2002
as Detective Dubrinski
Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures
2001
as Self
The Chipmunks Rockin' Through The Decades
1990
as Self
The Little Mermaid
1987
as Self - Host
Making 'The Shining'
1980
as Self
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
1985
as Self / Host
Ponce de Leon
1986
as Self / Host
The Emperor's New Clothes
1985
as Self - Host
The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers
1984
as Self - Host (uncredited)
Thieves Like Us
1974
as Keechie
Kubrick by Kubrick
2020
as Self (archive footage)
Johnny Appleseed
1986
as Self / Host
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
1984
as Self - Host (uncredited)
Cinderella
1985
as Self - Host
Frogs!
1991
as Annie
Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp
1986
as Self - Host
Sleeping Beauty
1983
as Self - Host (uncredited)
Frog
1987
as Mrs. Anderson
Thumbelina
1984
as Self - Host (uncredited)
Booker
1984
as Laura
Puss in Boots
1985
as Self - Host / Narrator
Shadow Zone: My Teacher Ate My Homework
1997
as Mrs. Fink
The Paul Simon Special
1977
as Joan of Arc
Annie Oakley
1985
as The Host
Guy Maddin: Waiting for Twilight
1997
as Self
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
1984
as Snow White's Mother / Self - Host
Pecos Bill
1986
as Self / Host
The Princess and the Pea
1984
as Self - Host (uncredited)
Hansel and Gretel
1983
as Self - Host (uncredited)
The Tale of the Frog Prince
1982
as Self - Host (uncredited)
The Princess Who Had Never Laughed
1986
as Self - Host
Casey at the Bat
1986
as Host
Twilight of the Ice Nymphs
1997
as Amelia Glahn
Jack and the Beanstalk
1983
as Self - Host (uncredited)
Darlin' Clementine
1986
as Self / Host / Clementine
Bernice Bobs Her Hair
1976
as Bernice
The Fairest of Them All
1983
as Self
Beauty and the Beast
1984
as Self - Host (uncredited)
Faerie Tale Theatre: Rip Van Winkle
1987
as Self - Host (uncredited)
The Pied Piper of Hamelin
1985
as Self - Host
Rumpelstiltskin
1982
as The Miller's Daughter / Self - Host
Aliens for Breakfast
1994
as Teacher
Changing Habits
1997
as Sister Agatha
John Henry
1986
as Self / Host
Rapunzel
1983
as Rapunzel / Marie, Rapunzel's Mother / Self - Host
Lily
1986
as Lily Miniver
The Secret World of the Very Young
1984
Little Red Riding Hood
1983
as Self - Host (uncredited)
Mr. Bill's Real Life Adventures
1986
as Self
Robert Altman: Giggle And Give In
1996
as Self
Davy Crockett
1986
as Self / Host
The Snow Queen
1985
as Host / Narrator (voice)
Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories: The Christmas Witch
1994
as Host
The Dancing Princesses
1987
as Self - Host
Howl: Inside the Forest Hills
as Self
Dreams in the Attic
2025
as Aunt Nellie
Earthquake Survival
1988
as Self
Hello, I'm Shelley Duvall
as Self
About Shelley Duvall
Shelley Alexis Duvall (July 7, 1949 – July 11, 2024) was an American actress known for her portrayal of distinctive, often eccentric characters. She was the recipient of several accolades, including a Cannes Film Festival Award and a Peabody Award and nominations for a British Academy Film Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards. Born in Texas, Duvall began acting after being discovered by director Robert Altman, who was impressed with her upbeat presence and cast her in the black comedy film Brewster McCloud (1970). Despite her hesitance towards… With 102 credits spanning from 1971 to 2025, Shelley Duvall has appeared in 84 films and 18 TV shows.
Fans searching for Shelley Duvall movies, Shelley Duvall filmography, or the latest projects starring Shelley Duvall can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Shelley Duvall Movies
- The Shining (1980) — as Wendy Torrance
- Annie Hall (1977) — as Pam
- Popeye (1980) — as Olive Oyl
- Time Bandits (1981) — as Dame Pansy / Pansy
- Roxanne (1987) — as Dixie
Where to Watch Shelley Duvall Films
Most Shelley Duvall movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Shelley Duvall, check our movies catalogue and browse page.