Shelley Duvall started her acting career with minor roles in the late ’60s, up until the ’70s, when she gained widespread acclaim through her collaboration with director Robert Altman in the film Brewster McCloud. The synergy between Duvall and Altman proved remarkable and led to a series of critically acclaimed performances in subsequent films, including McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) and Nashville (1975). However, her portrayal of Wendy Torrance in Stanley Kubrick’s cinematic masterpiece The Shining (1980) truly solidified her status as a film icon.
As her career progressed, life presented its share of challenges for Duvall in the late ’80s and ’90, as she grappled with mental health problems. These challenges influenced her decision to take a break from acting. Following her departure from the limelight, the actress has grappled in seclusion with her inner struggles, a relentless battle that has significantly impacted her financial stability. However, the actress has remained strong despite life challenges, and one of her super fans, Sarah L., is committed to getting the actress all the help she needs to get back on her feet.
Shelly Duvall’s superfan
Sarah became a fan in 2016 after watching Duvall’s iconic portrayal of Wendy Torrance in The Shining. She revealed that the movie resonated with her so much that it stirred up a quest to know more about the actress. “Over the past 2.5 years, I’ve been running a growing “fan club” for Shelley online with my Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok pages aptly named @shelleyduvallxo. When I initially started on Instagram, my goal was to simply learn more about Shelley through deep internet dives and archival research,” she stated. “My pages started small, but they have since amassed a staggering number of followers, making me feel appreciative of the audience online, which spans all generations of fans who adore Shelley and want the best for her.”
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“I never expected that having this online presence as a Shelley Duvall connoisseur and curator would grant me the opportunity to meet Shelley on one warm fall day in September 2022. Since our first rendezvous, our relationship has blossomed into a mutual friendship,” Sarah added. “She has come to feel like my eccentric grandmother rather than a movie star, and I will forever value every phone or car-side conversation that I have with her – even if it’s about the donkeys in a neighboring yard.”
Shelley Duvall is back to acting — support her GoFundMe
After a remarkable hiatus of two decades from the screen, Duvall surprised her fans with a cameo appearance in Scott Goldberg’s 2023 horror film, The Forest Hills. Interestingly, her superfan, Sarah, has also revealed through an Instagram post that she had started a GoFundMe campaign to help Duvall, given her continuing battle with mental illness.
“After much deliberation and many requests, I’ve officially launched a GoFundMe campaign to support Shelley through personal hardships,” she wrote in the caption. “Given my relationship with Shelley, and after consulting with a few others involved in her life, I’ve felt the urge to start this fundraiser for her given these challenges. We all deserve love, respect, and compassion. Shelley’s story is NOT tragic nor did she ever “fade” away- she still remains the same intelligent and special woman who has simply been having her own private battles.”
She expresses joy at her movie comeback in ‘The Forest Hills’
During an exclusive interview with Entertainment Tonight in 2022, Duvall opened up about her remarkable journey of returning to the world of film after taking a long break from acting while expressing her genuine enthusiasm and joy about gracing the silver screen again.
“I know it’s been a long time, but it’s been great. It really has, it feels good. Makes me want to do more acting,” she confessed to the news outlet. “It’s actually so much fun to act in a movie. I should appreciate every minute of it.”