logo
Getty Images
Getty Images

Shelley Duvall's Tragic Life after 'The Shining,' Including Serious Mental Health Issues

Edduin Carvajal
Mar 17, 2021
10:30 A.M.

Actress Shelley Duvall, best known for portraying Wendy in “The Shining,” had a very prolific career in the 90s. Now, she’s struggling with mental health issues and looks like a completely different person.

Advertisement

Born in July 1949, Shelley Duvall is a former actress and producer who shot to fame for her outstanding performances in “3 Women” and “The Shining” and had a prolific career in the 80s and 90s.

Her career could have been very different had she accepted a role in an adult film when she was only 17 years old. Duvall explained that, while shopping at a drug store, a person made the unusual offer, which she turned down.

Shelley Duvall on March 3, 1994 in Beverly Hills, California | Photo: Getty Images

Shelley Duvall on March 3, 1994 in Beverly Hills, California | Photo: Getty Images

Advertisement

SHELLEY DUVALL’S EARLY CAREER

A few years later, when she was a 20-year-old student at South Texas Junior College, three men went to a party she and her then-boyfriend hosted.

They happened to be three associates of “Brewster McCloud” director Robert Altman, and they asked Duvall if she’d like to be part of a movie. Initially, she thought it was another adult film.

Dr. Phil treated Duvall as a case study.

Shelley Duvall in Los Angeles, California circa 1990 | Photo: Getty Images

Shelley Duvall in Los Angeles, California circa 1990 | Photo: Getty Images

Advertisement

However, they were actually looking for a woman to portray the Astrodome tour guide. Duvall said no, but they contacted her parents’ house and, after a while, they all became friends. She added:

“I said, ‘I’m not an actress.’ They said, ‘Yes, you are.’ Finally, I said, ‘All right, if you think I’m an actress I guess I am.’”

Advertisement

SHELLEY DUVALL IN “THE SHINING”

After “Brewster McCloud,” Duvall landed parts in “Nashville,” “3 Women,” and “Annie Hall.” 1980 was a very important year in her life as she was cast as Wendy in Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” and Olive Oyl in Altman’s “Popeye.”

Unfortunately, working on “The Shining” was nothing short of excruciating for Duvall. Jack Nicholson, who starred alongside Duvall in the film, revealed that Kubrick was a “different actor” with Duvall.

According to Nicholson, the actress was frequently antagonized by the late director, who supposedly made her shoot the now-iconic baseball-bat scene 127 times.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Duvall, who once labeled working with Kubrick as “almost unbearable,” was under so much stress that she allegedly showed the director clumps of hair that fell out during the filming process.

To make matters worse, her performance at the time was overlooked by many. She was even nominated for a Raspberry Award for Worst Actress! In 2000, she said for the book “The Complete Kubrick:”

“I had to cry 12 hours a day, all day long, the last nine months straight, five or six days a week. I was there a year and a month.”

Advertisement

SHELLEY DUVALL AND DR. PHIL

After working as an actress and producer for about three decades, Shelley Duvall walked away from Hollywood. In November 2016, however, she made headlines after an interview with Dr. Phil.

Their conversation was labeled by many, including Stanley Kubrick’s daughter Vivian, as “exploitative” as Duvall, who looked unrecognizable, admitted she had been struggling with mental health issues.

The former actress asked for help and said she was dealing with many physical ailments. She also claimed to be persecuted by an unidentified person, adding that she was afraid someone would harm her for talking to Dr. Phil.

Advertisement

One of the things that made people angry about the interview was that Dr. Phil treated Duvall as a case study, even writing a transcript of her comments to show her stream of consciousness–style speaking patterns.

At the end of the show, Dr. Phil persuaded Duvall to seek psychiatric treatment. The problem was that, while she accepted, she had to travel to Southern California when they could have found support for her in Texas, where she lived at the time.

Earlier this year, Shelley Duvall admitted that she found out the kind of person Dr. Phil was “the hard way.” Now, the former actress lives in Texas with her long-time partner Dan Gilroy.

Advertisement
info
Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories!
By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy
Advertisement
info

The information in this article is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, and images contained on news.AmoMama.com, or available through news.AmoMama.com is for general information purposes only. news.AmoMama.com does not take responsibility for any action taken as a result of reading this article. Before undertaking any course of treatment please consult with your healthcare provider.

Related posts

Shelley Long Was Pregnant on 'Cheers' & Nearly Died during Her Divorce — Her Daughter Also Became an Actress

March 11, 2022

Dr Phil & Wife of 46 Years Fell in Love at 1st Sight Yet He Wed Another Woman & Cheated on Her

February 20, 2022

Marlo Thomas's Husband of 41 Years Already Had 5 Kids So She Decided Not to Try to Become a Mother

February 15, 2022

Mindy Cohn’s World Now after She Suddenly Felt Exhausted & Had to Fight for Her Life for 5 Years against Cancer

March 29, 2022

Annette Funicello Was Unable to Eat, Drink & Talk during Her Last Years — Her Husband Never Gave up Hope

March 02, 2022

Ingrid Bergman Asked Husband for a Divorce Twice — He Refused until She Birthed a Child That Was Not His

May 01, 2022

Robin Williams Wanted His Children to Be Proud of Him — Meet His 3 Kids Who He Cherished

March 09, 2022

Julie Andrews Misses Her Husband 'like Crazy' after Trying to Save Him from the 'Monster' of Self-Medication

May 11, 2022

Sissy Spacek & Jack Fisk Are Married for 48 Years Although They ‘Never Expected a Lifelong Relationship’

February 16, 2022

Inside Private Lesbian Life of Kristy McNichol Who Lived through ‘Years of Hell’ & Was ‘A Total Mess’

March 28, 2022

Roger Moore Found 'The One' after Marriages to 3 Formidable Women: A Gay Icon, Skater & an Actress

April 08, 2022

Betty White Was Proud 'To Be In Such Good Health' before Her 100th Birthday — Unpacking Her Last Interview

May 02, 2022

Samuel L Jackson & Wife Are Married for 41 Years & 'Still Love Each Other' Though They Took 10 Years to Wed

March 10, 2022

Michael J Fox Was ‘Isolating’ Himself From Wife of 34 Years & Kids - She Helped Him to Become Part Of Family Again

March 19, 2022