Shelley Duvall is remembered for being the most easily victimized. Although she was once very

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Throughout the coverage remembering the late actress Shelley Duvall, who died this time at the age of 75, much attention was paid to her prolonged absence from major breakout hits in cinema in the ’70s and early ’80s. Has gone.

In particular, she will always be associated with her portrayal of Wendy Torrance, the sensitive and tormented victim of Jack Nicholson’s mad editor in Stanley Kubrick’s iconic 1980 adaptation of the Stephen King vintage “The Shining,” who disappeared from view. ,

Unfortunately, that victim’s identity received its greatest credence in mid-2010, when Duvall appeared on an episode of “Dr.” Phil” was once considered exploitative and extremely problematic.

However, like any other person, movie stars – even reluctant ones, like Duvall – are more than equal to their subsequent impressions, or their perceived shortcomings. It’s disgusting that Duvall’s absence from the crowd arena ultimately overshadowed his abilities and capabilities.

Much has been written about Duvall’s difficult experience in preparation for “The Shining”, where he performed most of the arduous work – regular 16-hour days, six days off – working in a state of anxiety, constant rigor and Crying physically lifted his body.

In 2021, there will likely be a “where-was-she-all-this-time?” Has the highest number of. The report was published in The Hollywood Reporter, in which Anjelica Huston – who was dating Nicholson at the time of filming – recalled how Duvall preferred to live in a secluded rental place on the outskirts of London. . A flat in the city and a commute.

“Nobody does that,” Huston said that day. “Even if you’re traveling to and from London, you can get stuck in two-hour traffic going in and out. But Shelley did this for a good one and a half years. She got herself an apartment and started living there because she was extremely dedicated and didn’t want to shortchange herself or anyone else by not fully surrendering her commitment.’

That loyalty was evident in the finished product, with Duvall’s portrayal of Wendy – the frazzled and frightened wife of an alcoholic editor who becomes undone by getting too close to her population at a haunted Colorado resort in the harsh winter weather – a big one. The reference became standard in popular culture.

Then “The Shining”, Duvall went on to be involved in a few successful projects, but none could live up to the level of notoriety of that film or his work that came before it, especially his acclaimed work with filmmaker Robert Altman.

Several years later, when Duvall wrote the controversial “Dr.” Made an impact on. In the ratings-bait call with Phil’s episode, the 67-year-old actress made convoluted claims and seemed as if she was suffering from her psychological condition.

The episode drew widespread reaction and anger from viewers and Hollywood luminaries, including Mia Farrow on social media calling for the defense of “mentally ill people from TV talk show predators like @DrPhil” and Stanley Kubrick’s daughter Vivian. Kubrick – Labeled. The show was described as “horribly cruel” and “absurd entertainment”.

(Dr. Phil, for his part, never apologized for the episode and later told CNN’s Chris Wallace, “I have no regrets about what I did.” He only acknowledged that the show was It was publicized in a way people thought was indecent.”)

In the long run, the incident only fueled interest in Duvall, who, as The New York Times reported earlier this year, maintained a dedicated fan base. Her tenure as host of the eighties Showtime anthology “Fairy Tale Theatre” — an early but spurious crash into the nascent premium cable date, which ran for six seasons — had a considerable impact on young Gen Xers and Millennials, like this editor. .

The Myth show offered old fairy tales in the form of playful but entertaining episodes filmed on a soundstage, and attracted an incredible roster of talent – ​​including Helen Mirren, James Earl Jones, Deal Williams, Terry Garr and Gena Rowlands. . Some, not to mention some notable directorial works like Francis Ford Coppola and Tim Burton.

On the other hand, it was fueled by Duvall, whose unique charm and childlike whimsy as the host and presenter of each story was fairy slime at its best. He also served as a producer on the order.

Now in the soon-to-be-released “Fairy Tale,” Duvall played Steve Martin’s best friend Dixie in “Roxanne,” a brilliant 1987 retelling of Cyrano de Bergerac. At one point within the comedy, she poses a riddle to Martin’s love-struck, big-nosed leading man, asking, “What can you sit on, sleep on, and brush your teeth on?” As Martin contemplates in his mind an elusive thing as a solution, Duvall slowly and coyly tells him: “A chair, a bed, and a toothbrush.”

“Sometimes, the answer is so obvious, you can’t even see it,” she adds. A reminder to probably not be so focused anymore. His However, the legacy of Duvall’s paintings remains the elusiveness that once existed all along.