Summary
Various tributes toShelley Duvallhave been shared on social media. The two-time Emmy nominee is best-known for her roles in movies helmed byauteurdirectors including working withStanley Kubrick inThe Shining, Terry Gilliam inTime Bandits, Tim Burton in the short filmFrankenweenie, Terrence Malick inBadlands, and Robert Altman in seven different movies including3 Women,Popeye,Nashville, andMcCabe & Mrs. Miller. Duvall died of complications of diabetes at the age of 75 on July 14, 2025.
Across social media, tributes to Shelley Duvall have come pouring in. This includes posts from various key figures in the entertainment industry includingLast Night in Sohodirector Edgar Wright,The Haunting of Hill Housecreator Mike Flanagan, andThe Shiningauthor Stephen King (setting aside his well-publicized animosity toward Kubrick’s adaptation of his iconic novel). See selected tribute posts below:
Stephen Kingshared that he is “very sorry Shelly Duvall has passed,” calling her a “wonderful, talented, underused actor.”
Edgar Wrightcalled Duvall “truly iconic,” saying she “burned up the screen” and reflecting that “whatever horrors are conjured up in [The Shining], its power stands and falls on Duvall’s terrified reactions.”
Mike Flanaganhonored the “great” actor, saying “Rest in Peace.”
The WireactorWendell Piercereminisced about a particular scene of her performance inPopeye, calling it a “moment I cherish to this day as a part of my innocent youth.”
Duvall’sFaerie Tale Theatreco-starMalcolm McDowellcalled her “a dear friend & wonderful actress who played quirky/offbeat characters in some great films.”
Terrifier 2starLauren LaVeracalled Duvall a “true artist and inspiration.”
Jordan Peele’s companyMonkeypaw Productionshonored Duvall as an “iconic scream queen.”
Shelley Duvall’s Performances Transcend Their Time Period
Duvall’s Talent Strikes A Cross-Generational Chord
The fact that some of these tributes to Duvall come from younger people like 30-year-old Lauren LaVera speaks to the fact that the actor isa talent who appeals to viewers across the generations. Duvall had a great many onscreen roles in her time, having appeared in more than four dozen titles on both the big and small screens. However, she retired from acting in 2002, when LaVera was just eight years old, only returning for one final performance in the 2023 horror movieThe Forest Hills.
The Forest Hillsalso starred horror icons Dee Wallace (The Howling) and Felissa Rose (Sleepaway Camp).
While other actors who haven’t worked in the past two decades or more may have been relegated to obscurity in the time since their retirement,Duvall’s many iconic performances live on. This has happened in some cases because of her appearances in legendary movies likeThe Shiningor thelive-actionPopeye. However, it is entirely possible that those movies would never have become the minted classics that they are now considered without her fearless, utterly committed performances.
Stephen King Is Wrong About Kubrick’s Take On The Shining
Veteran horror scribe Stephen King may not have liked Stanley Kubrick’s take on The Shining, but he’s wrong to say the classic horror has no story.
Just as the work ofShelley Duvallsurvived the two decades since her retirement, it will continue to provide the star with a long-lasting onscreen legacy. Her work will continue to inspire generations of filmmakers, actors, writers, and fans, linking the generations as much as it has already linked iconic figures from the horror industry including Stephen King, Mike Flanagan, and more.
Source: Various (see above)
