Actress Shelley Duvall, arguably best known for her role as the loving wife turned trembling survivor Wendy Torrance in the 1980 film “The Shining” died Thursday July 11, 2024 in her sleep, according to The Hollywood Reporter. She was 75 years old. According to what her long-time partner, Dan Gilroy, told the outlet, her cause of death was issues stemming from diabetes.
Duvall made her mark in several films in the 1970s, culminating in “The Shining,” before her acting roles became fewer and farther between in the 1980s and into the early 90s. In more recent memory, the actress had made her illnesses known, once going on Dr. Phil to talk about having mental illness, and in April 2024 in an interview with The New York Times she is described as having mobility issues and spending time smoking cigarettes and driving around to make visits in her Toyota 4 Runner in rural Texas where she lived.
Though her death seems to have been unexpected, her partner acknowledged that she had been unwell recently, telling The Hollywood Reporter, “My dear, sweet, wonderful life partner and friend left us,” Gilroy said. “Too much suffering lately, now she’s free. Fly away, beautiful Shelley.”
More to come…
