Why Shelley Duvall Returned to Acting After 20 Years

For the past two decades, Shelley Duvall has quietly lived in Central Texas. The locals know her, but most were unaware she was a movie star.

On March 11, moviegoers will see her return in the upcoming indie horror film, “The Forest Hills,” which will premiere at Smodcastle Cinemas in New Jersey.

Director-producer-writer Scott Goldberg asked her to play a supporting role. In response, Duvall happily agreed, saying, “Acting again… it’s so much fun. It enriches your life.”

Why did Shelley Duvall return to the silver screen?

Shelley Duvall has returned to acting with a surprise cameo in the indie horror film 'The Forest Hills,' written and directed by Scott Goldberg https://t.co/aE0DgdkRxI pic.twitter.com/rBUhejYQac

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) November 2, 2022

Goldberg said he called Shelley Duvall and asked her to play a supporting role. He was glad to hear that she accepted the offer:

“Shelley’s a Hollywood icon. I’m happy that she has the opportunity to show that she still has the talent.” 

Celebrity news website People had an exclusive interview with Shelley Duvall. She revealed that she received fewer and fewer movie offers in the 90s.

In 2002, she decided to pack up and return to Texas when his brother turned out to have spinal cancer.

“It was the longest sabbatical I ever took,” Duvall said, “but it was for really important reasons… to get in touch with my family again.”

After 20 years, she was glad to return in front of the camera and continue acting. As mentioned, she thought it was fun and enriching. 

“[Jessica Tandy] won an Oscar when she was 80. I can still win,” she said with a wink and a laugh.

Who is Shelley Duvall?

Photo Credit: pagesix.com

Shelley Duvall was an iconic actress in the 70s and 80s. She starred in famous films such as Robert Altman’s Popeye, Woody Aleln’s Annie Hall, and Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining.

She was born in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1949 but grew up in Houston. Her father was a lawyer, and her mother worked in real estate. 

She had three younger brothers, but she said it wasn’t boisterous. “I liked to read and had a lot of homework,” said Duvall.

She got her big break into acting when she was 18. A group of men in suits attended her former boyfriend’s art opening. They noticed Shelley Duvall and invited her to audition. 

Soon, she became a costar in Robert Altman’s 1970 comedy Brewster McCloud. She decided to pursue a career in the industry after two films. 

“After Thieves Like Us, Robert [Altman] looked at me and said, ‘I knew you were good, but I didn’t know you were great,’” she said while tearing up.

“It’s the reason I stuck with it and became an actress,” she added. Eventually, Shelley Duvall became Hollywood’s “unconventional it girl.”

Despite working with prominent Hollywood figures, she didn’t often find her career easy or profitable. 

“You didn’t get paid much… just scale plus 10%,” she said. “They thought women would just marry and the husband’s going to support them. But that doesn’t happen for everybody.”

Duvall was happy to reminisce about the old days, and whenever she encountered her films, she’ll stop and watch.

“On one channel, there is Popeye, and another one, The Shining. Boy, those are two different films,” she recalled, “But in a way, it’s like, ‘Gosh, I was great.’”