Strong points
- Shelley Duvall’s 2016 interview with Dr. Phil received heavy criticism for its depiction of her struggling mental health.
- Despite the backlash, Dr. Phil kept the interview going, stating that he worked with Duvall and his family off-camera.
- After the interview, Duvall gave up acting and moved to Texas.
In the 1980s, Shelley Duvall quickly became famous after play Wendy Torrance in Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of Stephen King’s bestselling novel The Shining. While Duvall has played many memorable characters, she made perhaps the biggest impression of her entire career in this classic film as Jack Nicholson’s wife. Unfortunately, Duvall didn’t have a good experience filming The Shining. After featured in the 2002 filmManna from heavenshe stopped acting, and no one was sure what happened… until her interview with Dr. Phil in 2016.
While Dr. Phil has had many unforgettable guests, he received the most backlash for interviewing Shelley Duvall. As she explained that she had mental health issues, the interview seemed harsh and mean-spirited. Here’s what happened during and after the interview.
Dr. Phil’s interview with Shelley Duvall about her mental health was heavily criticized
During Shelley Duvall’s Dr. Phil interview in 2016, she explained that she was going through a difficult time with her mental health. According to Entertainment Tonight, she made several statements that people couldn’t forget. She said, “I’m very sick. I need help,” and added, “If I say I’m healthy, the first thing they’ll do is hurt me tonight.” She also said that Robin Williams was “shape-shifting” and appeared in various forms. She said of the actor: “I don’t think he’s dead.”
THE negative reaction to the interview was immediate. According to Today.com, Stanley Kubrick’s daughter Vivian Kubrick tweeted at Dr. Phil and wrote:
“Your misuse of Shelly Duvall is a form of LURID ENTERTAINMENT and is shameful.”
She continued: “Shelley Duvall was a movie star…whatever dignity a simple unfortunate person can have in this world is denied to her by your presentation in this manner.”
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She added at the end of her tweet that she was “sincerely disgusted.” Countless others shared Vivian Kubrick’s sentiment. There are countless Reddit threads devoted to the topic, with fans siding with Duvall and wondering why Dr. Phil thought it was okay to air this conversation.
While people were shocked that Dr. Phil aired the interview while Duvall was clearly in pain, Dr. Phil remained present for the interview. He said on CNN’s “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace”:
“I don’t regret what I did. I regret that it was promoted in a way that people thought was inappropriate.”
Dr. Phil added, “We worked with her family. We worked with her for over a year, off camera, after that providing her with inpatient and outpatient psychiatric care opportunities. I can’t tell you how much ‘where we crossed.’
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Shelley Duvall’s interview with Dr. Phil was so memorable because no one had heard from her in a long time and fans were worried about her. In February 2021, Duvall spoke about his career with The Hollywood Reporter and people were happy to know she was okay. Several years before her interview with Dr. Phil in 2016, she stopped acting And moved to Texas. She said a producer contacted her and she agreed to be interviewed.
Duvall explained:
“I found out the hard way what kind of person he was. My mother didn’t like him either. A lot of people, like Dan, said, ‘You shouldn’t have done that, Shelley.'”
She continued, “He started calling my mom. She told him, ‘Don’t call my daughter anymore.’ But he started calling my mom all the time to try to convince her to let me talk to him again.
What happened to Shelley Duvall after her interview with Dr. Phil?
In her February 2021 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Shelley Duvall explained that she was living in Texas Hill Country with his partner, Dan Gilroy. As the publication explains, the couple had been together since 1989 when they starred in Mother Goose Rock ‘n’ Rhyme.
Before and after his interview with Dr. Phil, Shelley Duvall left alone in Texas, and seemed happy to have left acting. The Hollywood Reporter profile is one of compassion, and lead writer Seth Abramovitch made sure to let Duvall tell his story in his own words.
Shelley Duvall’s roles in film and television
- Pam in Annie Hall (1977)
- Wendy Torrance in The Shining (1980)
- Olive Oyl in Popeye (1980)
- Gabby in Casper Meets Wendy (1998)
- Faerie Tale Theater host and actor (1982-1987)
- Little Bo Peep in Mother Goose Rock ‘n’ Rhyme (1990)
Several fans discussed the article in a Reddit thread and we were satisfied with its performance. As Reddit author @olechunkacoal wrote: “Knowing that she’s happy and has friends, a long-term partner, and a community that loves and cares for her really makes me smile .”
Duvall certainly has a lot of people who care about her. An example? Kristina Keller, a waitress at a cafe where Duvall bought a cherry scone during the interview, told the reporter, “I’m not sure who you are.” But here in these rural Hill Country communities, we look out for each other and care for each other. Does that make sense?”
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Shelley Duvall’s mental health status is unknown, and many would probably say that’s for the best since she was treated so poorly during her interview with Dr. Phil. However, she shared that filming The Shining was terriblewhich may give some idea as to why she stopped acting.
According to The Mirror, she explained: “I guess that’s what most people know me for, isn’t it?” She added: “All I will say for now is that if he hadn’t led the way he did, if he hadn’t done everything with force and ruthlessness, then I ‘guess it wouldn’t have gone as well as it did.’
Even though she hadn’t acted in decades, Shelley Duvall appeared in the 2023 horror film The Forest Hills. She seems to have put the Dr. Phil interview in the past and really enjoyed the experience. According to People, she shot him The Forest Hills scene via Facetime and said: “Acting again is so much fun. It enriches your life.”
