Beloved '80s Actress Disappeared from Hollywood for 20 Years — 'I Was a Star'

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Beloved '80s Actress Disappeared from Hollywood for 20 Years — 'I Was a Star' originally appeared on Parade.

One of the most recognized faces in movie history suddenly vanished from Hollywood in 2002 after more than 30 years in the spotlight.

After starring in iconic films like The Shining and Popeye, Shelley Duvall stepped away from the film industry to pursue a quieter life.

At the time, Duvall reportedly cited her brother’s spinal cancer diagnosis as one reason for moving away, choosing to live in Texas to be closer to her family.

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The beloved actress remained out of the mainstream media for nearly two decades, but when she returned, she opened up about what had really been going on behind the scenes.

"You didn't get paid much—just scale plus 10 percent," she told PEOPLE in 2023. "They thought women would just marry and the husband's going to support them. But that doesn't happen for everybody.”

In 2024, Duvall spoke even more candidly about how public scrutiny affected her over the years. "I was a star; I had leading roles," she told The New York Times. "People think it's just aging, but it's not. It's violence.”

She had long been the target of cruel comments about her appearance, even before she stepped away from the spotlight.

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“How would you feel if people were really nice, and then, suddenly, on a dime" -- she snapped her fingers -- "they turn on you? You would never believe it unless it happens to you. That's why you get hurt, because you can't really believe it's true," she explained.

Despite a career filled with memorable roles, Duvall’s time in the industry came with a heavy personal cost. While filming Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining, she was subjected to grueling conditions on set.

Warner Brothers/Getty Images

Kubrick reportedly isolated her and forced her to endure exhausting takes — most infamously, the iconic baseball bat scene, which she had to film 127 times.

“Stanley pushed me very hard, and the psychological abuse was extreme. I cried for hours every day. It was exhausting,” she recalled in a 2016 Dr. Phil interview.

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Still, Duvall never regretted the experience. "I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. Why? Because of Stanley. It was a fascinating learning experience—such intense work that I think it makes you smarter. But I wouldn’t want to go through it again."

After The Shining, she continued acting in the ‘80s, appearing in films like Popeye alongside Robin Williams and Time Banditsby Terry Gilliam. She also branched into television, with roles in L.A. Law,Frasier, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters and Wishbone.

Though she retired in 2002, Duvall always dreamed of returning to the screen. That wish came true in 2023 when she starred in the indie horror film The Forest Hills — her first movie in over 20 years.

In that same PEOPLE interview, she expressed hope for her future in acting. “[Jessica Tandy] won an Oscar when she was 80. I can still win,” she said.

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Sadly, Duvall passed away the following year, on July 11, 2024, due to complications from diabetes.

Beloved '80s Actress Disappeared from Hollywood for 20 Years — 'I Was a Star' first appeared on Parade on Jul 7, 2025

This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.