The best Shelley Duvall movies and TV shows reveal exactly why the star of The Shining and Popeye came to be known as a legendary presence on the screen. Born in 1949 in Texas, Shelly Duvall was discovered by director Robert Altman, who she came to work with frequently following her debut in his 1970 comedy Brewster McCloud. From there, Duvall found herself starring in many of the best films of the 1970s and 1980s, with her career reaching its highly celebrated peak with films like Popeye and, of course, Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining.
However, despite being regarded as an incredible presence on-screen in the 2020s, Shelley Duvall was somewhat under-appreciated in her time – especially when it came to awards and accolades. Shelley Duvall unfortunately passed away in 2024, aged 75, though by this time, her legacy was cemented and celebrated by many critics and career peers – and the best Shelley Duvall movies and TV shows make it easy to see why.
10
McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)
Shelley Duvall Plays Ida Coyle
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McCabe & Mrs. Miller
R
McCabe & Mrs. Miller, directed by Robert Altman, stars Warren Beatty as gambler John McCabe and Julie Christie as brothel madam Constance Miller. Set in a remote Pacific Northwest mining town at the turn of the 20th century, the film explores themes of ambition and partnership amidst a backdrop of frontier life and corporate interest. The narrative is underscored by a melancholic atmosphere, enhanced by Leonard Cohen’s music.
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Release Date
July 8, 1971
Runtime
120 Minutes
Cast
Warren Beatty
, Julie Christie
, Rene Auberjonois
, William Devane
, John Schuck
, Corey Fischer
, Bert Remsen
, Shelley Duvall
Director
Robert Altman
While she only had a minor role in the 1971 Western from director Robert Altman, the strength of her performance ensured that McCabe & Mrs. Miller would forever be known as one of the best Shelley Duvall movies. The grounded revisionist Western is one of several Shelly Duvall films helmed by Altman, and while the cast of McCabe & Mrs. Miller featured Julie Christie as the female lead (for which she won an Oscar nomination), Altman had the perfect role for Duvall’s unique talents.
In McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Shelley Duvall plays Ida Coyle, a sex worker who takes up employment at the brothel owned by Julie Christie’s Constance Miller. The plot of McCabe & Mrs. Miller is incredibly tragic throughout, and Duvall’s dramatic skills in the role of Ida Coyle are essential for many scenes – particularly when sharing the screen with Christie.
9
Annie Hall (1977)
Shelley Duvall Plays Pam
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10/10
Annie Hall
PG
Annie Hall, directed by Woody Allen, stars Allen as comedian Alvy Singer and Diane Keaton as the titular character. The film explores the complexities of relationships through Alvy’s reflections on his romance with Annie, blending comedy and introspective drama. It won multiple Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and is noted for its innovative narrative techniques and sharp dialogue.
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Release Date
April 19, 1977
Runtime
93 minutes
Cast
Woody Allen
, Diane Keaton
, Tony Roberts
, Carol Kane
, Paul Simon
, Shelley Duvall
Director
Woody Allen
Shelley Duvall appeared in 1977’s Annie Hall as part of an all-star cast that included the likes of the now-controversial Woody Allen (who also directed), Dian Keaton, and Christopher Walken. Shelley Duvall plays Pam in the dry and biting rom-com, and without a doubt is given some of the most hilarious lines in the entire film.
While her role may be relatively minor, Annie Hall is considered a cinematic classic, making its way onto many critics’ lists of best movies of all time (which also cements it as one of the best that Shelley Duvall appears in). The film won a slew of awards upon its release, include the Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actress for Diane Keaton. While not Shelley Duvall’s most prominent role, it’s one of the best examples of how her presence can significantly elevate an already strong ensemble cast.
8
Roxanne (1987)
Shelley Duvall Plays Dixie
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Roxanne
PG
Roxanne, directed by Fred Schepisi, is a romantic comedy starring Steve Martin as C.D. Bales, a witty fire chief with an unusually large nose, and Daryl Hannah as Roxanne, a beautiful astronomer. The film is a modern retelling of Edmond Rostand’s play Cyrano de Bergerac, focusing on themes of love, self-acceptance, and inner beauty while delivering a mix of humor and heartfelt moments.
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Release Date
June 19, 1987
Runtime
107 Minutes
Cast
Steve Martin
, Daryl Hannah
, Shelley Duvall
, John Kapelos
, Fred Willard
, Michael J. Pollard
Director
Fred Schepisi
Like many of the best Shelley Duvall movies, the part of Dixie in 1987’s Roxanne wasn’t a lead role, but it was an exceptional performance (and one in which Duvall stole many scenes). Directed by Fred Schepisi, 1987’s Roxanne stars Steve Martin and Daryl Hannah, from a script that was written by Martin. Duvall’s character in Roxanne, Dixie, is the best friend of Martin’s Charlie “C.D.” Bales, making her integral to the romance arc between C.D. and the titular Roxanne (Hannah) in many ways.
Roxanne ranks among the best Shelley Duvall films thanks largely to the incredible chemistry she and Steve Martin share on-screen. Duvall’s Dixie is the voice of reason in many scenes, and provides a perfect counter-balance to the borderline-neurotic persona of Martin’s C.D. Like many of the most celebrated movies Shelley Duvall appears in, Roxanne was nominated for many awards and accolades, though in this case they were all for Steve Martin in his role as both an actor and writer.
7
Shelley Duvall’s Faerie Tale Theatre (1982-1987)
Shelley Duvall Plays Multiple Roles
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Faerie Tale Theatre
NR
Faerie Tale Theatre is a live-action television anthology series that debuted in 1982, presenting retellings of popular fairy tales. Each episode features well-known actors bringing classic stories to life in a unique and imaginative format, blending traditional storytelling with a contemporary twist.
Release Date
September 11, 1982
Cast
Albie Selznick
, Alfre Woodard
, Art Carney
, Avery Schreiber
, Beatrice Straight
, Ben Vereen
, Bernadette Peters
, Beverly D’Angelo
, Billy Curtis
, Bridgette Andersen
, Carl Reiner
, Carol Kane
, Chao Li Chi
, Chris Penn
, Christopher Reeve
, Conchata Ferrell
, Daniel Frishman
, Diane Ladd
, Diane Stilwell
, Don Novello
, Edie McClurg
, Elizabeth McGovern
, Elliott Gould
, Eric Idle
, Eve Arden
Producers
Shelley Duvall
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While she’s most known for her movie appearances, Shelley Duvall was no stranger to the small screen. When it comes to the best Shelley Duvall TV shows, it’s Shelley Duvall’s Faerie Tale Theatre that’s arguably the strongest, which ran on Showtime from 1982 to 1987. Shelley Duvall hosted the anthology series as well as playing multiple roles, and – as evidenced by the fact that the show bore her name – was the centerpiece of the charming fantasy show.
While aimed predominantly at younger viewers, Shelley Duvall’s Faerie Tale Theatre has moments that appeal to older audience members too. It also spawned several spinoffs which Duvall also produced, including a horror-themed series, Nightmare Classics, which had more mature themes. The show won both a Peabody and TCA Award, with the follow-up show Tall Tales & Legends also nominated for a Primetime Emmy in 1988.
6
Nashville (1975)
Shelley Duvall Plays L.A. Joan
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Nashville
R
Nashville is a film that explores the intertwining lives of twenty-four characters linked to the music industry in Nashville, Tennessee, including country stars, aspiring musicians, reporters, and waitresses, reflecting the vibrant cultural and social landscape of the city.
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Release Date
June 11, 1975
Runtime
160 Minutes
Cast
David Arkin
, Barbara Baxley
, Ned Beatty
, Karen Black
, Ronee Blakley
, Timothy Brown
, Keith Carradine
, Geraldine Chaplin
, Robert DoQui
, Shelley Duvall
, Allen Garfield
, Henry Gibson
, Scott Glenn
, Barbara Harris
, David Hayward
, Michael Murphy
, Allan F. Nicholls
, Dave Peel
, Cristina Raines
, Lily Tomlin
, Gwen Welles
, Keenan Wynn
, Jeff Goldblum
, Bert Remsen
, Merle Kilgore
, James Dan Calvert
, Donna Denton
Director
Robert Altman
Expand
A year after working with Robert Altman in the crime thriller Thieves Like Us, Shelley Duvall appeared in another one of the director’s projects, the 1975 musical dramedy Nashville. Duvall was one of a large ensemble cast that also included an early appearance from Jeff Goldblum, as well as many contemporary stars like David Arkin, Barbara Baxley, and Ned Beatty. Nashville is another one of the best Shelley Duvall movies that stands out not because she was a central character, but because of how much she elevated the scenes in which she appeared.
In Nashville, Shelley Duvall plays L.A. Joan (real name Martha). Joan claims she’s visiting the titular Texas city to care for her terminally ill aunt, but in reality simply seeks to win the affections of a musician – any musician. The movie itself received a staggering 5 Academy Award nominations and 11 Golden Globe nods, and many critics consider Nashville among the funniest films of the 1970s. When it comes to the best Shelley Duvall movies specifically, it’s an incredible performance from the actror, though her not being a central cast member precludes it from ranking higher.
5
Brewster McCloud (1970)
Shelley Duvall Plays Suzanne Davis
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Brewster McCloud
R
Brewster McCloud is a 1970 comedy film directed by Robert Altman. The movie follows a young recluse, Brewster McCloud, played by Bud Cort, who lives in the Houston Astrodome and is obsessed with building a pair of wings so he can fly. Sally Kellerman co-stars as his enigmatic protector, while the plot also involves a series of mysterious murders investigated by a detective played by Michael Murphy.
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Release Date
December 5, 1970
Runtime
105 Minutes
Cast
Bud Cort
, Shelley Duvall
, Sally Kellerman
, Michael Murphy
, Rene Auberjonois
, Stacy Keach
, John Schuck
, Margaret Hamilton
Director
Robert Altman
Of all the best Shelley Duvall movies directed by Robert Altman, the 1970 black comedy Brewster McCloud is one of the strangest. It also marks her feature film debut, which makes the fact it remains one of her most memorable performances all the more impressive. Brewster McCloud focuses on the titular character, Brewster (Bud Cort), a reclusive young man who lives in a fallout shelter under the Houston Aerodrome.
The comedy has many elements of a murder mystery, as Brewster becomes a key suspect in several deaths involving birds. Shelley Duvall’s character Suzanne is a tour guide at the Aerodrome and becomes both the key romantic interest and, ultimately, the one responsible for Brewster’s downfall. It’s a role that involves as many dramatic and emotional moments as it does comedic ones, and, as Duvall’s debut, laid solid foundations for her successful movie career that followed.
4
Thieves Like Us (1974)
Shelley Duvall Plays Keechie
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Thieves Like Us
R
Thieves Like Us (1974) is a crime drama directed by Robert Altman. The film follows the lives of three convicts who break out of prison and embark on a series of bank robberies in Depression-era Mississippi. Featuring Keith Carradine, Shelley Duvall, and John Schuck, the film explores the complexities of crime, loyalty, and human relationships against a backdrop of social upheaval.
Release Date
May 22, 1974
Runtime
123 Minutes
Cast
Keith Carradine
, Shelley Duvall
, John Schuck
, Bert Remsen
, Louise Fletcher
, Ann Latham
, Tom Skerritt
, Al Scott
Director
Robert Altman
Like McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Nashville, and Brewswet McCloud, Thieves Like Us is a collaboration between Shelley Duvall and director Robert Altman. However, the 1974 crime thriller places Duvall in a much more central role, with her performance (especially the chemistry shared with co-star Keith Carradine) cementing it as one of her best movies. In Thieves Like Us, Shelley Duvall plays Keechie, the daughter of a garage owner who finds herself caught up in a deadly criminal feud.
Thieves Like Us was only Shelley Duvall’s third movie appearance, following on from 1970’s Brewster McCloud and McCabe & Mrs. Miller in 1971. In her early 20s at the time, playing the teenaged Keechie in Thieves Like Us was an early display of the incredible talent Duvall possessed when it came to roles in dramas and thrillers. What’s more, her performance as Keechie, a young woman thrust into danger due to dangerous older men, foreshadowed many of her later career-defining roles like that of Wendy Torrance in The Shining.
3
Popeye (1980)
Shelley Duvall Plays Olive Oyl
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Popeye
PG
Based on the comic strip character created by Jules Feiffer, Popeye is a 1980 musical comedy that starred Robin Williams and Shelly Duvall. While searching for his missing father, Popeye arrives in the town of Sweethaven to meet the future love of his life, Olive, while dealing with her overbearing fiance.
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Release Date
December 12, 1980
Runtime
114 Minutes
Cast
Robin Williams
, Shelley Duvall
, Paul L. Smith
, John Wallace
, Paul Dooley
, Richard Libertini
, Ray Walston
, Donald Moffat
Director
Robert Altman
By the 1980s, Shelley Duvall’s career was at its peak – though she was still working frequently with Robert Altman, the director who’d helped launch her career. By far the duo’s most blockbuster project was the live-action Popeye movie, which saw Duvall co-starring alongside comedy legend Robin Williams. With Williams as the titular spinach-eating sailor man, Shelley Duvall appeared opposite as Popeye’s long-time romantic interest, Olive Oyl.
While not the most critically acclaimed of the best Shelley Duvall movies (especially when it was released in 1980), Popeye has been viewed much more warmly in retrospect. Duvall’s performance in particular has been praised time and time again. Her resemblance to Olive Oyl is, in a word, uncanny. While comedies weren’t the staple of her career, Popeye showed a different side of Shelley Duvall’s range, and it’s clear she could have seen great success in roles that required her to use her physicality to hilarious effect as she did when embodying Olive Oyl.
2
3 Women (1977)
Shelley Duvall Plays Mildred “Millie” Malloreaux
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3 Women
PG
3 Women, directed by Robert Altman, follows three women whose lives intersect in a dusty California desert town. The film stars Shelley Duvall as Millie Lammoreaux, Sissy Spacek as Pinky Rose, and Janice Rule as Willie Hart, an artist who harbors deep secrets. The narrative delves into identity and interpersonal relationships in a surreal environment, exploring the complex dynamics and shifting personas of the characters.
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Release Date
April 10, 1977
Runtime
124 Minutes
Cast
Shelley Duvall
, Sissy Spacek
, Janice Rule
, Robert Fortier
, Ruth Nelson
, John Cromwell
, Sierra Pecheur
, Craig Richard Nelson
Director
Robert Altman
Shelly Duvall’s best movie, as far as awards and accolades are concerned, is the 1997 drama 3 Women, once again directed by her longtime collaborator Robert Altman (who, in this instance, also was responsible for the story and script). For 3 Women, Altman cast Duvall in a lead role, that of Mildred Malloreaux, referred to as Millie. The film is a complex and nuanced one, as is Duvall’s character of Millie – and her skill at navigating the ups and downs of the character’s story drew a great deal of praise from critics.
For 3 Women, Shelly Duvall won the award for Best Actress at the 1977 Cannes Film Festival and from the L.A. Film Critics Association the same year, and was nominated for a BAFTA, National Society of Film Critics Award, and New York Film Critics Circle award in the same category. While not her most widely known movie appearance, playing Millie in 3 Women stands as one of the best performances of Shelley Duvall’s career, and should be considered essential viewing for fans.
1
The Shining (1980)
Shelley Duvall Plays Wendy Torrance
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10/10
26
8.3/10
The Shining
R
Stanley Kubrick’s horror classic starring Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall tells the story of the Torrance family, who move to the isolated Overlook Hotel so that father Jack Torrance can act as its winter caretaker. Stuck at the hotel due to the winter storms, the malevolent supernatural forces inhabiting the building slowly begin to drive Jack insane, causing his wife and psychically gifted son to be caught up in a fight for their lives when Jack is pushed over the edge.
Release Date
June 13, 1980
Runtime
146 minutes
Cast
Danny Lloyd
, Shelley Duvall
, Jack Nicholson
, Scatman Crothers
Director
Stanley Kubrick
Writers
Diane Johnson
, Stanley Kubrick
It’s difficult to argue that any film deserves consideration as the best Shelley Duvall movie more than The Shining, as her incredible performance cemented her place in pop culture and as a household name. Directed by the legendary Stanley Kubrick and adapting the novel of the same name by the equally legendary author Stephen King, The Shining was a career-defining appearance for Shelley Duvall. Her performance as Wendy Torrance has influenced female leads in horror films ever since, and to call it iconic is an understatement.
Starring alongside Jack Nicholson as Wendy’s increasingly unhinged husband, Jack Torrance, The Shining features multiple scenes in which Shelley Duvall steals the show. Whether it’s screaming in terror as Jack busts through a bathroom door with an axe, backing away from him on a staircase, or portraying a wave of panic with unnerving authenticity when Wendy discovers his manuscript, Shelley Duvall’s performance in The Shining was integral to the film’s success. It’s easily her most well-known film, and nothing else the actor appeared in comes close to deserving the title of the best Shelley Duvall movie.