Shelley Alexis Duvall (July 7, 1949 – July 11, 2024) was an American actress. Known for her collaborations with Robert Altman and for playing eccentric characters, she was the recipient of several accolades including nominations for a British Academy Film Award and two Primetime Emmys.

Born in Texas, Duvall was discovered by director Robert Altman, who was impressed with her upbeat presence and cast her in the black comedy film Brewster McCloud (1970). Despite her hesitance towards becoming an actress, she continued to work with him, appearing in McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971) and Thieves Like Us (1974).

Duvall's breakthrough role was in Altman's Nashville (1975). Her leading role in Altman's drama 3 Women (1977) won her the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress and a nomination for the British Academy Film Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. She followed up with a supporting role in Woody Allen's satirical romantic comedy Annie Hall, and hosted Saturday Night Live, both in 1977. She became famous for her leading roles across the 1980s, such as Olive Oyl in Altman's live-action feature version of Popeye, and Wendy Torrance in Stanley Kubrick's horror film The Shining, both in 1980.

Through the 1980s, Duvall appeared in Terry Gilliam's fantasy film Time Bandits (1981), the short comedy horror film Frankenweenie (1984), and the comedy Roxanne (1987). She ventured into producing television programming aimed at children and youth in the latter half of the 1980s, creating and hosting the programs Faerie Tale Theatre (1982–1987) and Nightmare Classics (1989), and earning Primetime Emmy Award nominations for creating and hosting Tall Tales & Legends (1985–1987) and Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories (1992–1994).

Across the 1990s, Duvall acted sporadically, playing supporting roles in Steven Soderbergh's thriller The Underneath (1995) and Jane Campion's drama The Portrait of a Lady (1996). After Manna from Heaven (2002), she left acting until returning for her final role in the horror film The Forest Hills (2023). Her mental health in the interim was covered by various media, briefly turning her private life public.[1]