Shelley Duvall passed away a few days ago at her home in Blanco, Texas, after dealing with complications from diabetes and staying in hospice care for months. She had just celebrated her 75th birthday the day before, and according to her husband, Dan Gilroy, she died in her sleep the following morning.
Shelley is mostly known for appearing in The Shining, Popeye, and kids TV show which saw her introduce herself in a memorable manner that resurfaced last year on the internet. TikTok users took over the sound to make fashion videos and have fun in general on the app.
Shelley Duvall’s time as a children’s show host
@shelleyduvallxo #ShelleyDuvall then and now 💗 PROTECT HER AT ALL COSTS!!!! #faerietaletheatre #helloimshelleyduvall #theshining #retro #wendytorrance #oliveoyl #80s ♬ night changes – 🤠
Shelley hosted the Faerie Tale Theater series from 1982 to 1987, saying her name at the start of each episode from season one to six. She collaborated with the likes of Robin Williams, Billy Crystal, Susan Sarandon, Jeff Goldblum, Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Leonard Nimoy, Helen Mirren, Christopher Reeve, and others to deliver evening entertainment to kids.
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The series introduced kids to classics based on legends like Hans Christian Andersen, during a time when Disney’s ratings were dwindling and kids had to make do with short toy commercials as TV fun. Shelley not only hosted the Faerie Theater Series, she executive produced and handled a lot of the creative direction.
The Shelley-inspired TikTok trend
In 2021, a TikTok user and big fan of Shelley recreated Shelley’s signature introduction from the Faerie Theater Series featuring Shelley herself and posted it online. Unknown to Sarah, who manages Shelley Duvall Archives fan pages, she started a trend that would soon go viral.
@noemiipiunti🙋🏼♀️ ig:noemipiunti♬ Shelly duVALLLLLL xxXxxXxxXx – lauv (ari)
Users discovered the sound last year thanks to TikToker LauveSongs, who added some touches to the voice. They began to show off their style over Shelley’s touched-up voice while changing into as many as five outfits per video.