The Shining Broke Shelley Duvall | Rumour Juice

The on-set stories about 'The Shining' film are now a thing of Hollywood whispers that no one wants to talk about because if we did, that would mean that it wasn't just a nightmare … it was a reality. A tragic reality that Shelley Duvall had to live through and scarred her for the rest of her life. So much so that she quit acting and never looked back.

#ShelleyDuvall #JackNicholson #TheShining #StephenKing #StanleyKubrick

[kprnr]

Shelley lives near my Dad. She's not reclusive like what people say. She spends most of her day sitting outside a cafe talking to people, I've met her a couple of times and she's completely there, still sharp and loves talking to people about movies.

[princepeterwolf]

I honestly cannot believe she was nominated for a razzie, that's insulting. I cannot even imagine what she must've felt after going through all that horror and trauma to get out one of the most iconic performances on film to be considered as one of the worst that year...how cruel. I don't even know why razzies exist

[__elise]

"all she did was scream and cry"
The plot of the movie: Her husband is going crazy and she's worried for her and her son's safety.

[twistoffate]

She wasn't a character who simply "screamed & cried." I looked at her character as a woman who had to have suffered at the hands of her husband for a long time, and who was spent, just hanging by a thread. That's why she was simply in survival mode, which is the character she portrayed. I thought she and Nicholson did a first rate job. Just my opinion.

[SundayMourningLove]

Her portrayal of Wendy was so much more than just a "screaming, crying, stupid woman". She was a devoted wife to an alcoholic, a protective mother to a young son, doing everything to keep her family together and safe & happy. Playing the role of both protector to her son ( sometimes even from her husband himself ) and encouraging helper & partner to her husband, she put all of her own desires & wants to the side and focused only on her family. She wanted her husband to succeed in both his career and in areas of his health, and never thought twice abt sacrificing everything to help him achieve that. She bit her tongue and simply smiled contritely when I'm sure she wanted to scream out at him, and she isolated herself in that cold creepy hotel when she probably would have rather been with family and friends in a familiar atmosphere. She was selfless and loving. And when the man she loved and did everything for turned against her and her life was in danger, she had no one to turn to. Not one single soul. Of course she was driven to screaming and crying and confusion. These movies where women fight back against unbelievable odds and win, coming out the hero in tight jeans and a tank top with their ample breasts heaving up and down, without even smudging their makeup none-the-less, are so unbelievable. They're unrelatable. Wendy would honestly be a great deal of us in that situation. The character of Wendy is honest. And real. And I love her for it.

[chartreusecat]

Duvall seemed sweet, vulnerable and naive in The Shining. A fragile flower of a woman that was forced to get strong to save her child and herself- I think the film would not be as much of a success without her. She was the perfect counterbalance to Jack's demonic persona.

[Random]

Shelley Duvall performance in the The Shining was amazing and she was always the star of the film for me.

[kathrynbillinghurst]

Shelley Duval in real life is a sensitive soul and never had the respect she deserved. At her time of crisis, making a movie in a “frozen environment”. She acted in many other movies.

[vincijuju]

Never mind the Razzie. She won an award at Cannes for Best Actress before her role in The Shining, and has been nominated for, and has won, other prestigious acting awards.

[diegus]

The more I watch the film the more I appreciate her performance. Anyone who says it was “screaming and looking stupid” has a shallow understanding of not only cinema, but psychology as well.

[YourAverageWeirdo]

Anyone here after she passed? RIP shelly 😔 we love you

[angelaholmes]

I feel so sorry for shelly for the way she was treated on the shining set what Stanley put her through was just plain cruel and wrong

[jaredtyler]

Her co-stars were instructed to not sympathize with her on set, in order to push her mental state to the brink. Wow, pretty sick and twisted if you ask me.

[pattihainline]

I think the performance was awesome! She didn't come off as just screaming & stupid! She came off as a traumitised battered woman who was liveing in fear for years afraid not only for her life but also her son's! Did no-one really pay attention to the real details of this movie? 😠😠😠😡😡😡 Her performance was awesome!

[designsonyouinparis]

This is so sad. Dr. Phil should have helped her privately not publicly.

[Falcon_Kashmir]

She added so much to the film... What a brilliant actress

[mollybygolly]

She is and will always be beautiful. Good for her for being who she is with no apologies. Nothing wrong with where she is now. Its called life. It looks different for everyone. How blessed she is. Her contributions will always be valued.

[kurtolson]

Shelly made the movie way MORE scary by being so vulnerable. Her high and trembling voice and facial expressions made me feel freaked out. She got ripped off! Jack was over the top (as always) but she was REAL in her performance.

[TinaJohnson]

I am so happy to hear she will be returning to acting. She will be starring in “Forest Hills” along with Dee Wallace, Edward Furlong, etc. It is said to be released this year 2023!

[pryncecharming]

she was so gorgeous in an unconventional way.