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
The Twilight Zone
1985
as Margaret (segment "A Saucer of Loneliness")
Cannon
1971
as Liz Christie
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
Fridays
1980
as Self
Tall Tales & Legends
1985
as Self - Host / Clementine
The Adventures of Shirley Holmes
1997
as Alice Flitt
Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories
1992
as Shelley Duvall
Wishbone
1995
as Renee Lassiter
Maggie Winters
1998
as Muriel
WonderWorks
1984
as Laura Burroughs
Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
1994
as Potsi
Movies (84)
The Shining
1980
as Wendy Torrance
Popeye
1980
as Olive Oyl
Annie Hall
1977
as Pam
Time Bandits
1981
as Dame Pansy / Pansy
3 Women
1977
as Mildred "Millie" Lammoreaux
Roxanne
1987
as Dixie
RocketMan
1997
as Mrs. Randall (uncredited)
The Portrait of a Lady
1996
as Countess Gemini
Casper Meets Wendy
1998
as Gabby
Nashville
1975
as L.A. Joan
Frankenweenie
1984
as Susan Frankenstein
The Underneath
1995
as Nurse
Suburban Commando
1991
as Jenny Wilcox
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
1971
as Ida Coyle
Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson
1976
as The First Lady (Mrs. Cleveland)
Russell Mulcahy’s Tale of the Mummy
1998
as Edith Butros
Brewster McCloud
1971
as Suzanne
Manna from Heaven
2002
as Detective Dubrinski
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
1985
as Self / Host
Saturday Night Live: The Best of Dan Aykroyd
2005
as Bad Ballet Dancer (archive footage)
Big Monster on Campus
1998
as Mrs. Stein
The 4th Floor
1999
as Martha Stewart
Twilight Theatre
1982
Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme
1990
as Little Bo Peep
The Chipmunks Rockin' Through The Decades
1990
as Self
Puss in Boots
1985
as Self - Host / Narrator
Making 'The Shining'
1980
as Self
Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures
2001
as Self
Thieves Like Us
1974
as Keechie
Annie Oakley
1985
as The Host
Alone
1997
as Estelle
Home Fries
1998
as Mrs. Jackson
Johnny Appleseed
1986
as Self / Host
Ponce de Leon
1986
as Self / Host
Kubrick by Kubrick
2020
as Self (archive footage)
Pinocchio
1984
as Self - Host (uncredited)
The Nightingale
1983
as Nightingale (voice) / Narrator (voice) / Self - Host
Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp
1986
as Self - Host
The Boy Who Left Home to Find Out About the Shivers
1984
as Self - Host (uncredited)
The Paul Simon Special
1977
as Joan of Arc
Frogs!
1991
as Annie
Cinderella
1985
as Self - Host
The Little Mermaid
1987
as Self - Host
The Princess Who Had Never Laughed
1986
as Self - Host
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
1984
as Self - Host (uncredited)
Sleeping Beauty
1983
as Self - Host (uncredited)
Frog
1987
as Mrs. Anderson
Shadow Zone: My Teacher Ate My Homework
1997
as Mrs. Fink
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
1984
as Snow White's Mother / Self - Host
Pecos Bill
1986
as Self / Host
Thumbelina
1984
as Self - Host (uncredited)
The Emperor's New Clothes
1985
as Self - Host
The Tale of the Frog Prince
1982
as Self - Host (uncredited)
Booker
1984
as Laura
Casey at the Bat
1986
as Host
Faerie Tale Theatre: Rip Van Winkle
1987
as Self - Host (uncredited)
Twilight of the Ice Nymphs
1997
as Amelia Glahn
Jack and the Beanstalk
1983
as Self - Host (uncredited)
Changing Habits
1997
as Sister Agatha
Darlin' Clementine
1986
as Self / Host / Clementine
Hansel and Gretel
1983
as Self - Host (uncredited)
The Dancing Princesses
1987
as Self - Host
Davy Crockett
1986
as Self / Host
The Pied Piper of Hamelin
1985
as Self - Host
Guy Maddin: Waiting for Twilight
1997
as Self
Beauty and the Beast
1984
as Self - Host (uncredited)
Bernice Bobs Her Hair
1976
as Bernice
The Secret World of the Very Young
1984
Lily
1986
as Lily Miniver
The Princess and the Pea
1984
as Self - Host (uncredited)
Rapunzel
1983
as Rapunzel / Marie, Rapunzel's Mother / Self - Host
The Fairest of Them All
1983
as Self
John Henry
1986
as Self / Host
Little Red Riding Hood
1983
as Self - Host (uncredited)
Howl: Inside the Forest Hills
as Self
The Snow Queen
1985
as Host / Narrator (voice)
Mr. Bill's Real Life Adventures
1986
as Self
Aliens for Breakfast
1994
as Teacher
Rumpelstiltskin
1982
as The Miller's Daughter / Self - Host
Dreams in the Attic
2025
as Aunt Nellie
Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories: The Christmas Witch
1994
as Host
Robert Altman: Giggle And Give In
1996
as Self
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 CineFlixo, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Shelley Duvall Movies
- The Shining (1980) — as Wendy Torrance
- Popeye (1980) — as Olive Oyl
- Annie Hall (1977) — as Pam
- Time Bandits (1981) — as Dame Pansy / Pansy
- 3 Women (1977) — as Mildred "Millie" Lammoreaux
Where to Watch Shelley Duvall Films
Most Shelley Duvall movies and series are available to stream on CineFlixo 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.