Shelley Duvall may be synonymous with Wendy Torrance, but it’s her role as Olive Oyl in the 1980sPopeyethat is the true high watermark of her career. The 1980Popeye, ndirected by Robert Altman and starring Duvall, Paul L. Smith as Bluto, andthe late great Robin Williamsas the titular sailor, is a fascinating piece of pop culture that, for all intents, should not have worked, and yet it’s wound up as one of the most memorablenon-DC or Marvel comic adaptations, and it’s left a surprising legacy, with a song even appearing inPunch Drunk Love.
The film, based on the E. C. Segar comic character of the same name, follows Popeye’s first venture into Sweethaven, where he searches for his father, Poopdeck Pappy (Ray Walston).There he meets the scrappy, sweet, and strong-willed Olive Oyl, who is set to marry the hulking and crude Captain Bluto. Popeye doesn’t stand for bullies and his attraction to Olive Oyl and search for his father all come together in a musical, energetic, singular film. While Williams may have played the title character, it’s Shelley Duvall who steals the show in arguably thebest role of her vaunted career.
Shelley Duvall Is Iconic As Olive Oyl In Popeye
Duvall Steals The Movie From Robin Williams
Popeyeostensibly stars Robin Williams; it’s in the name after all, but Olive Oyl has always been amajor part of thePopeyeuniverse. The gangly, shrieking, sassy Olive is as memorable a comic strip creation as there is and probably should have been unplayable. Somehow,Shelley Duvall makes the character work in live-action and becomes the best part ofPopeye, even with Williams' incredible performance. For one Duvall looks like Olive Oyl. She has the thin face, large eyes, straight black hair, and the tall frame to perfectly match the character.
Robin Williams' Biggest (& Hilarious) Regret Filming Popeye
One of Robin Williams' earliest movies was Popeye, and it was a source of frustration for him, who hilariously called it one of his biggest regrets.
It’s not just her looks, however. Duvall has always been known for the manic energy she can bring to her roles. In everything fromThe ShiningtoThe Portrait of a Lady, Duvall always acted like her characters were holding on to a live wire. This energy is the perfect tonal match forPopeye, making Olive Oyl feel like she jumped right out of the funny pages and onto the screen. Just the way she moves her feet or gets up close and personal to William’s Popeye is like a stop-motion character come to life.
Duvall is also called upon to sing several numbers inPopeye, with “He Needs Me” being a notable example of her ability to emote and sing all at once. The song is about Popeye the Sailor, so it’s silly, butDuvall manages to make it a moving ode that’s hard not to quiet down for. IfThe Shiningwere not indisputably a better movie, it would bePopeyethat Duvall would be best known for. Olive Oyl remains a fixture of animation as much as Mickey Mouse or Charlie Brown, and Duvall is the only live-action avatar that makes sense.
Olive Oyl Is A Much More Fun Role Than Wendy Torrance
Duvall Gets To Showcase Her Range In Popeye
For years, there was an accepted rumor touted around thatShelley Duvall had left Hollywoodbecause of her experience on the set ofThe Shining. It was said Stanley Kubrick drove Duvall to tears on multiple occasions and she was forever traumatized by the director’s exacting approach to filmmaking. However, thatstory about Duvall has been challengedin recent years, and it appears that she had a fine time on set. Or at least, as a fine time on set as anyone can have on a Kubrick because there were still long hours and multiple takes.
Even if Duvall could handle the stress, that doesn’t mean she wasn’t stressed, everyone was. Scatman Crothers reportedly had to do 148 takes of the same scene. So seeing her inPopeye, which came out the same year asThe Shining, simply feels better.She is clearly having a great time in her role, performing songs, dancing, getting involved in the action, and spitting lines back at Robin Williams as fast as he is getting them past his corn cob pipe. There is more for Duvall to do as Olive Oyl, by virtue of the character’s role in the film.
However, it certainly feels like her free freewheeling performance as Olive Oyl is more “Duvall” than the haunted Wendy Torrance desperately swinging a bat at Jack Nicholson.
That isn’t to say Duvall’s performance as Wendy Torrance was bad or that character was bad. Her performance is legendary, and it’s a major part of whyThe Shiningstill remains a classic so many years later. Her abject terror and confusion is gut-wrenchingly real and the only response anyone could possibly have to the events that her character experiences. However, it certainly feels like her free freewheeling performance as Olive Oyl is more “Duvall” than the haunted Wendy Torrance desperately swinging a bat at Jack Nicholson.
Duvall Was A Better Actress Than Audiences Give Her Credit For
Many Actresses Commemorated Duvall After She Passed
Shelley Duvall’s career lasted from 1970 with her debut inBrewster McCloudas Suzanne Davis to 2023, when she came out of retirement to play Mama inThe Forest Hills, her final role before her death on June 08, 2025. In between, she released two studio albums, earned two Emmy nominations, hostedSNL, appeared in 26 movies including the seminalNashville, andplayed roles in 24 TV shows, which included hosting two series,Faerie Tale TheatreandShelley Duvall’s Bedtime Stories.
The Portrait of a Lady(1996)
Countess Gemini
Duvall was not defined byThe Shining, nor any other performance that audiences would recognize her from. Duvall was a movie star, though she is rarely ranked among the greats. Which is a shame. After her passing, numerous actresses came forward to say how much Duvall meant to them and how much she inspired them. Jamie Lee Curtis posted onInstagramthanking Duvall for showing how an actress can become a producer.
Julianne Moore also took toInstagramto express her appreciation.
Shelley Duvall is not the classic movie star. She was not part of big franchises and she never had any major Oscar roles.Duvall’s parts could only have been played by her, and in some ways, that makes her career hard to grasp. However, asPopeyeproved, she could take any part, even one as two-dimensional as a cartoon character, and turn it into something special.
Popeye
Cast
Based on the comic strip character created by Jules Feiffer, Popeye is a 1980 musical comedy that starred Robin Williams and Shelly Duvall. While searching for his missing father, Popeye arrives in the town of Sweethaven to meet the future love of his life, Olive, while dealing with her overbearing fiance.
