Bolstered by director Robert Altman, Shelley Duvall exploded onto the scene in the ’70s, earning numerous accolades and nominations before disappearing in the 2000s. However, Duvall made a highly anticipated comeback in the 2020s, an experience she treasured as remarkably refreshing and fun.
Established as a memorable leading lady by the ’80s, Duvall made an impression as Olive Oyl in Popeye and as Wendy Torrance in The Shining. After disappearing on “the longest sabbatical I ever took,” Duvall made her return with The Forest Hills. Sadly, Duvall died two years later July 11 at the age of 75. But her comeback was a pleasant one for Duvall, and it made all the more remarkable how much the industry had changed in the decades she’d been gone.
Shelley Duvall had a very fun time making her acting comeback after two decades away
Duvall’s comeback was doubly unique in part because of what it represented for her career and because of what a different experience the production process was at points. That’s in large part because of the advent of new technology and the new regulations put into place by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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“It was fun, very satisfying,” Duvall praised of her time working on Scott Goldberg’s 2022 horror film The Forest Hills. Lingering restrictions from the pandemic meant that remote work was very much a factor in the production process, something that was not nearly so viable before her hiatus. As a result, Duvall noted that it was the “first time I ever worked with a director who was on FaceTime.”
Once she made her comeback, Duvall caught the acting bug completely. She admitted, “Acting again — it’s so much fun. It enriches your life.” However, sadly, The Forest Hills would mark her final on-screen appearance.
Stepping away from it all
The 2002 comedy Manna from Heaven had been Duvall’s last film credit before her disappearance from the spotlight. Across multiple interviews, Duvall reflected on the impact her career had on her mental health.
“I was a star; I had leading roles,” she reflected. “People think it’s just aging, but it’s not. It’s violence.” When asked what she meant by violence, Duvall elaborated, “How would you feel if people were really nice, and then, suddenly, on a dime… they turn on you? 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.”
Her life partner since the ’80s, Dan Gilroy, also said that the culture around scandal drove Duvall away. “Everyone’s always interested in downfall stories,” he explained. “It’s all over the internet: ‘Look at her now’ and ‘You won’t believe what she looks like now.’ Every celebrity gets that treatment.”
