What Is Shelley Duvall Famous For? How Many Takes Did Shelley Duvall Have to do?

Shelley Duvall’s fame soared in the 1980s with leading roles in notable films. She portrayed Olive Oyl in Altman’s live-action feature Popeye and delivered a memorable performance as Wendy Torrance in Stanley Kubrick’s horror masterpiece The Shining (both 1980). Her versatility was further showcased in Terry Gilliam’s fantasy film Time Bandits (1981), the short comedy horror film Frankenweenie (1984), and the comedy Roxanne (1987).

In the latter half of the 1980s, Duvall ventured into television production, focusing on children’s programming. She created and hosted Faerie Tale Theatre (1982–1987) and Nightmare Classics (1989). Her work in television earned her Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Tall Tales & Legends (1985–1987) and Shelley Duvall’s Bedtime Stories (1992–1994).

During the 1990s, Duvall’s acting appearances became sporadic. She played supporting roles in Steven Soderbergh’s thriller The Underneath (1995) and Jane Campion’s drama The Portrait of a Lady (1996). Her last performance for many years was in Manna from Heaven (2002), after which she retired from acting. However, she made a remarkable return to the screen in 2023 with the horror film The Forest Hills, marking her final role.

How Many Takes Did Shelley Duvall Have to do?

Kubrick made Duvall and Nicholson shoot the scene 127 times. “It was a difficult scene, but it turned out to be one of the best scenes in the film,” she added. She told the BBC in 1980 about the effect multiple takes had on her as an actor. “I had never done more than say, 15 takes before in my life.