A Shelley Duvall fan paid tribute to her “sweet” friend and the memories they made over the years after “The Shining” star passed away on Thursday.
The actor, who is known for her performances in films such as ‘Popeye’ and her series ‘Faerie Tale Theater’, died in her sleep from complications of diabetes in her Texas home. She was 75.
Sarah Lukowski, a Texas resident behind the Shelley Duvall Archives Social media pages that had befriended Duvall in her later years took to X (formerly Twitter) to confirm that she was aware that the actor had been struggling with health issues in recent months.
“I will always be grateful for the memories I created with her and for being able to provide her with comfort and companionship,” Lukowski wrote on her personal page, along with a photo of the two at Duvall’s 75th birthday last Sunday.
She continued: “She was so grateful and when I left she thanked me for cheering her up. I will always remember that. She has had as positive an impact on my life as I have had on hers.”
Duvall’s recent birthday celebration included some cakes and cards, Lukowski revealed it in a series of sweet snapsas the friends shared “lots of laughter and lots of hugs.”
“Birthday Queen 🎂 Thank you Shelley for bringing me (and so many others!) lots of smiles, laughter and comfort through your creative television productions and impactful films,” Lukowski wrote on Sunday. “Your talents and passion as an actress and producer will always be honored.”
Lukowski, who has more than 285,000 followers at her Duvall center social media accountsrecently told Texas Monthly that she first became “captivated” by the actor after discovering “The Shining” in 2016.
She later met Duvall in September 2022 when they ate peach cobbler at a restaurant.
It felt like they were friends within minutes, according to Lukowski, who said one of her favorite memories with the actor was when Duvall gave her a sun hat last year.
She revealed that her relationship with Duvall reminded her how “we are all human.”
“We all go through trials and errors and ups and downs in our lives. But at the end of the day, we still have our own passions. We are still creative people,” Lukowski told Texas Monthly.
“Shelley has been through a lot, but she is still so kind and compassionate,” she continued. “That’s really what I admire most about her, because you can tell she’s still the same Shelley throughout her career.”