5 lesser-known facts about The Shining actor Shelley Duvall

Shelley Duvall is famous for her role as Jack Torrance's wife, Wendy Torrance, in Stanley Kubrick's unforgettable horror mystery, The Shining. The 1980 movie has stood the test of time and is still hailed as one of the best horror movies. The masterpiece by Kubrick struck an uncanny fear into the hearts of the spectators even without the classic paranormal tropes.

While Jack Nicholson's portrayal of Jack Torrance was the movie's highlight, Shelley Duvall also delivered a stellar performance. Despite being a popular actor known for playing eclectic characters, she retired from acting in 2002 and gradually stopped all media appearances.

In 2016, Duvall appeared in an interview with Phil McGraw on his show Dr. Phil. This was followed by widespread media coverage of her deteriorating mental health. However, in 2018, in another interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she was said to still have a sharp memory of exciting stories from her acting career.

In this article, we try to explore the human being behind the iconic role of Wendy Torrance in The Shining.

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Shelley Duvall wanted to be a scientist - 5 things you may not have known about The Shining actor

1) Shelly Duvall never really wanted to become an actor

Despite appearing in multiple features in the 70s and 80s, Shelley Duvall never wanted to become an actor. Born and brought up in Texas, she had a very upbeat and energetic personality from childhood. From an early age, she took an interest in science and wanted to become a scientist when she grew up. Accordingly, after graduating high school, Duvall majored in diet and nutrition therapy at South Texas Junior College.

Her induction into the film industry was sudden and unexpected. In 1970, Duvall was at a party when she came across filmmaker Robert Altman, who was shooting for Brewster McCloud. Altman and the crew loved her energetic presence and wanted her to be a part of the feature. After some persuasion, she agreed to the proposition. She left for Hollywood soon after and worked for Altman in a series of projects, gradually becoming a known name across the industry.

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2) Her traumatic experience on the sets of The Shining

While Shelley Duvall was a known name in the 80s and 90s for some notable on-screen performances, she gradually faded away after retiring from acting in 2002. One of her most memorable performances was in Stanley Kubrick's 1980 horror piece, The Shining.

She played the character of Wendy Torrance, wife of the protagonist Jack Torrance and mother to Danny, the boy who was getting disturbing visions. Although the movie has become one of the most acclaimed horror flicks of all time, her experience during production was terrifying.

Although she has said multiple times that Kubrick's treatment of her was to extract her potential, Duvall was harshly treated by him. The filming experience took such a toll on her that her hair began falling out, with a deep psychological impact on her mental health. The moments caught in Vivian Kubrick's documentary of the production stand testimony to this impact.

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3) She has given a take for a record 127 times

One of the most iconic sequences in The Shining was the one where the confrontation took place in the Colorado Lounge. Wendy reads Jack's manuscript, which repeats a single sentence:

"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy"

This is followed by the pivotal confrontation where Jack is at the edge of his sanity. He tries to reason with Wendy about what he needs to do while getting increasingly hostile toward her. Wendy, meanwhile, is armed with a baseball bat as she tries to keep her husband away from her.

Shelly Duvall delivers a true-to-the-bone performance in this sequence. The scene was shot for a record-breaking 127 takes, before Kubrick accepted it as an okay shot. The mental and physical toll that this experience took on Duvall was immense. She was in pain, with swollen eyes and a strained voice.

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4) Her most notable role faced backlash initially

While The Shining reached peaks of success and Kubrick and Jack Nicholson were hailed for their contributions, Shelley Duvall was severely criticized for her acting. In the year of release, the film and Duvall were even nominated for the Golden Raspberry Awards, a parody award that recognized the worst productions. However, the movie was re-evaluated by the late 1980s, became a cult classic, and was featured in lists of the best horror films.

Duvall, who was heavily criticized for an uninspiring performance, was later praised by critics for having done justice to her character. She played a true-to-life character, and her actions reflected the truth of the situation. In 2022, after more than 40 years, the organizers retracted her Razzie nomination and accepted that it was a regrettable mistake.

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5) Shelley Duvall was famous even before she appeared in The Shining

While her appearance in The Shining is her most remembered role, Shelley Duvall had been in and delivered several iconic performances during her long career.

Shelly Duvall started her career through several Robert Altman productions like Brewster McCloud (1970), McCabe &Mrs. Miller (1971), Thieves Like Us (1974), Nashville (1975), and more. She then worked with F. Scott Fitzgerald in his story Bernice Bobs Her Hair in 1976.

Her breakthrough performance came in Altman's 1977 psychological thriller, 3 Women, which earned her the award for Best Actress at the 1977 Cannes Film Festival and LAFCA Award, and a nomination at the BAFTA. She followed this by appearing in a minor role in Woody Allen's Annie Hall (1977). 1980 brought two significant projects for Duvall, Kubrick's The Shining and Altman's musical, Popeye, which was lauded by the critics.