The director's knack for perfection took a toll on Shelley Duvall.
How The Shining Changed Shelley Duvall Forever
The 70s was an important period for Hollywood, which saw the rise of many auteurs, who redefined the medium, and Hollywood giants like Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, etc. Shelley Duvall was one of the prominent names that gained traction during this period after the emergence of the actor in her frequent collaborator Robert Altman's Nashville.
But her biggest challenge came when she teamed up with auteur Stanley Kubrick, most notable for his knack for perfection, which ended up being extremely painful for Duvall.
When it comes to adaptations of acclaimed novels, deviating from the source material is often a recipe for disaster. This is not the case for Stanley Kubrick, however, because despite not sticking to the original book by Stephen King, 1980's The Shining was a huge critical success, prompting Duvell to deliver an iconic performance. While the role initially earned her a Razzie nod at the time, the organization later withdrew her nomination in 2022.
