Shelley Duvall, Famous for Her Role in 'The Shining,' Has Died at 75

The actress' life partner Dan Gilroy confirmed her passing with The Hollywood Reporter, telling the outlet, "My dear, sweet, wonderful life partner and friend left us. Too much suffering lately, now she’s free. Fly away, beautiful Shelley."

According to TMZ, Gilroy found Shelley unresponsive at 7 a.m. on Thursday. He shared that she'd been under hospice care and bedridden the last few months.

While she may now be best known for memes based on her terror in Stephen King's The Shining, Shelley Duvall was the embodiment of real horror when Stanley Kubrick's controversially popular film adaptation was released in 1980.

The star has been open about the challenges of that film production in various interviews, calling it "almost unbearable" in an interview posted on RogerEbert.com. She said the stress of trying to achieve Kubrick's perfection caused her to start losing her hair.

Aside from bringing us the scream that made Jack Nicholson's iconic "Here's Johnny!" line so terrifying, Duvall's biggest Hollywood association was with her mentor, revered director Robert Altman. She starred in seven films for him.

Some of her best-known films include her big-screen debut in 1970's Brewster McCloud, bringing Olive Oyl to life opposite Robin Williams' Popeye in 1980, starring in Terry Gilliam's Time Bandits in 1981, and alongside Steve Martin and Daryl Hannah in 1987's Roxanne.

Duvall retired from acting after appearing in the 2002 film Manna from Heaven. While she stayed largely out of the public eye, her sporadic appearances tended to involve her health struggles.

She had a notable appearance on Dr. Phil in November 2016 where she said, "I am very sick. I need help," referring to her mental health. Just two months ago in May 2024, she spoke with The New York Times about her retreat from the spotlight.

"I was a star; I had leading roles," she told the publication, which noted she then "solemnly" shook her head. "People think it’s just aging, but it's not. It's violence."

"How would you feel if people were really nice, and then, suddenly, on a dime ... they turn on you?" she elaborated. "You would never believe it unless it happens to you. That's why you get hurt, because you can't really believe it’s true."

She and Gilroy spoke about her career, that Dr. Phil appearance -- which Gilroy said "just put her on the map as an oddity" -- and her mental health struggles following a 1994 earthquake which destroyed their home.

Meanwhile, following the sad news of her passing, fans and stars alike took to social media to pay tribute to Duvall.

Sarah Lukowski -- a fan who runs the Instagram account "Shelley Duvall Archive" and befriended the late actress in recent years -- honored Duvall on Instagram, sharing a photo of herself and Duvall, which was taken on her 75th birthday last week.

Shelley Duvall (1949-2024): A cultural icon in New Hollywood and a force in children’s programming. ❤️," the woman captioned the post. "I'm so devastated to share the passing of my dear friend and idol, Shelley Duvall (75) who died in her Texas home on July 11th due to diabetes complications."

"This is a post I never wanted to make on my page and I’m so unfathomably heartbroken, but please know that over that past few weeks Shelley was immensely loved and I visited with her often -- most recently this past Sunday on her 75th birthday (pictured)," she continued.

"With a career spanning more than 30 years, Shelley will be remembered not only for her artistic achievements but also for her pure spirit, warm personality, and legacy in cinema and network television as a once-in-a-lifetime force in Hollywood," the woman concluded. "I will love and honor you forever, Shelley."