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Shelley Duvall: A Life in Pictures
Shelley Duvall, who died on Thursday at the age of 75, captivated Hollywood with her raw honesty, intuitive acting and winsome Texas drawl. She was nicknamed “Texas Twiggy” for her sharp fashion sense and became a regular presence in 1970s celebrity photos.
Though she retired from show business in 2002, a new generation has remade her as a cult figure for the quirky and misunderstood. Here are some snapshots from her life and career.
Duvall signing autographs. She wasn’t planning on a film career but she became the go-to actress for roles that called for an out-of-the-ordinary performance.Credit…Art Zelin/Getty Images
Duvall with Robert Altman, the director who helped launch her career, beginning with “Brewster McCloud” (1970). She went on to appear in many more Altman films, including “McCabe and Mrs. Miller” (1971), “Nashville” (1975) and “3 Women” (1977).Credit…Gilbert Tourte/Gamma-Rapho, via Getty Images
Duvall dancing at Studio 54. She lived the life of a celebrity in the 1970s and 1980s, dating Paul Simon and Ringo Starr.Credit…Guy Marineau/WWD and Penske Media, via Getty Images
Altman directed Duvall and Sissy Spacek in “3 Women.” Here they attend a screening of the film at Cannes.Credit…Jean-Jacques Levy/Associated Press
Beside jury president and Italian director Roberto Rossellini, Duvall displays her award for best actress at Cannes in 1977 for her performance in “3 Women.”Credit…Jean-Jacques Levy/Associated Press
Three actresses who worked with Robert Altman: Geraldine Chaplin (“Nashville”), Lauren Hutton (“A Wedding”) and Duvall at a party honoring the director in New York.Credit…Getty Images
The film critic Pauline Kael called her the “female Buster Keaton.” On casting Duvall in “The Shining,” Stanley Kubrick told her, “I like the way you cry.”Credit…Reg Innell/Toronto Star, via Getty Images
Duvall with Ringo Starr en route to his home in Monte Carlo.Credit…PA Images, via Getty Images
Sitting between Paul Simon and James Taylor, Duvall greets Arnold Schwarzenegger at a screening in 1977.Credit…Sal Traina/WWD and Penske Media, via Getty Images
With Simon and Gilda Radner. Duvall hosted “Saturday Night Live” in 1977.Credit…Getty Images
Duvall with Jack Nicholson, her co-star in “The Shining.” Critics at the time picked her performance apart, and she was nominated for a Razzie award for worst actress. But something in the authenticity of her reactions, her otherworldliness, resonated with audiences.Credit…Robin Platzer/Getty Images
Terry Gilliam (far left) directed Duvall in “Time Bandits” (1981).Credit…Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection, via Getty Images
Duvall at a Hollywood party in 1982.Credit…Judy Graeme/WWD and Penske Media, via Getty Images
Robin Williams with Duvall, who played Olive Oyl to his Popeye in the comedy from 1980.Credit…Fairchild Archive/WWD/Penske Media, via Getty Images
Andy Warhol with Duvall in New York City. He put her on the cover of Interview magazine.Credit…Sonia Moskowitz/Getty Images
Duvall at a cast party for “Faerie Tale Theatre,” one of the many children’s television shows she produced starting in the mid-’80s. Episodes featured Robin Williams, Christopher Reeve, Carol Kane and Mick Jagger, among other stars.Credit…Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Images
Duvall produced the 1990 Disney television musical “Mother Goose Rock ‘n’ Rhyme,” where she met Dan Gilroy, who composed and performed some of the soundtrack and became her longtime partner. Credit…Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images
Duvall in 2024. She spent many decades away from Hollywood, living in small-town Texas, but had recently started acting again.Credit…Katherine Squier for The New York Times
