Two Beloved Hollywood Actresses Have Passed Away This Week

Shelley Duvall and Shannen Doherty were 75 and 53 respectivelyPhoto byVitaly SacredonUnsplash

There were a number of celebrities who passed away within the past week, including two notable actresses: Shelley Duvall and Shannen Doherty.

Shelley Duvall passed away on Thursday July 11th at her home in Blanco, Texas. The cause of death was complications from diabetes and news of her death was confirmed by her partner Dan Gilroy.

Duvall was born in 1949 in Fort Worth, Texas, Although she initially attended South Texas Junior College to become a research scientist with an interest in nutrition, she met director Robert Altman and his crew while throwing a party for her then-husband. The rest they say, was history.

Despite a lack of training and initially not aspiring to be an actress, Altman cast her in the film he was working on at the time, Brewster McCloud. She went on to appear in seven films total for the director including McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Nashville, and 3 Women for which she received a BAFTA nomination and won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actress.

In 1980, Duvall starred in Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of the novel The Shining. The film required more than a year of shooting and some scenes requiring more than 100 takes. The director seemingly pushed Duvall to her limit and the situation has been revisited numerous times throughout the years.

Other films of Duvall include Annie Hall, Popeye, Time Bandits and Roxanne. In the 1980s, Duvall focused much of her entertainment career towards children. This included releasing a children's music album and anthology shows such as Faerie Tale Theatre, Tall Tales & Legends, Nightmare Classics and Bedtime Stories. Later in the 80s, Duvall became the head of the production company Think Entertainment.

Though she appeared in films in the 1990s such as The Underneath and The Portrait of a Lady, Duvall returned to Texas and retired from acting in 2002. She lived a primarily reclusive life from there on out. However, in 2023, she returned to acting after many years in the indie horror film The Forest Hills.

Shelley Duvall is survived by her partner, singer-drummer Dan Gilroy. The couple first got together in 1989. Duvall is also survived by her brothers Scott, Stewart and Shane.

On Saturday July 13th, actress Shannen Doherty lost her battle with cancer at the age of 53. The news was confirmed by her publicist.

Doherty was born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1971. Her family moved to California when she was six years old. After being spotted in a church play, Doherty was able to secure an agent.

At age 11, she landed her first major role on Little House on the Prairie. From there, she secured roles in projects such as one of the titular characters in Heathers before landing her breakout role on the television series Beverly Hills, 90210.

Although initially the female lead, Doherty left the show in 1994 after four seasons. Four year later however, Doherty reappeared on television as part of the main cast of Charmed. Doherty left Charmed after season three in 2001.

Following her Charmed departure, Doherty continued to appear in numerous film and television projects including two different revivals of Beverly Hills, 90210. She also became an animal rights activist.

In 2015, Doherty became diagnosed with breast cancer. It eventually progressed to stage four. During this time, Doherty launched a podcast called Let's Be Clear with Shannen Doherty. On it, she talked about cancer and chatted with numerous friends and co-stars. Ultimately, Doherty battled the disease for nearly a decade.

Shannen Doherty is survived by her mother Rosa and brother Sean.

Sources: Risen, C. (2024, July 11). Shelley Duvall, star of “The shining” and “Nashville,” dies at 75. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/11/arts/shelley-duvall-dead.html

Barnes, M. (2024, July 11). Shelley Duvall, Robert Altman protege and tormented wife in “the shining,” dies at 75. The Hollywood Reporter. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/shelley-duvall-dead-shining-actress-1235946118/

Saperstein, P. (2024, July 12). Shelley Duvall, “The shining” and “Nashville” star, dies at 75. Variety. https://variety.com/2024/film/news/shelley-duvall-dead-the-shining-nashville-1236067312/

St. Martin, E., D’Zurilla, C., & Villarreal, Y. (2024, July 14). Shannen Doherty, “Beverly Hills, 90210” bad girl who battled cancer for years, dies at 53. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/obituaries/story/2024-07-14/shannen-doherty-90210-cancer-battle-dead

Holmes, L. (2024, July 14). Actress Shannen Doherty dies at 53, after a nearly decade-long battle with breast cancer. NPR. https://www.npr.org/2024/07/14/g-s1-10203/shannen-doherty