Adrienne Shelly: 1966-2006
November 3, 2006 10:33 AM   Subscribe

ObitFilter: Adrienne Shelly, New York film and theatre actress and director, died on 1 November 2006 of unknown causes. A longtime "next-big-thing", Shelly's early performances in Hal Hartley's films (most notably Trust) are cherished by fans of 1990s independent films. She is survived by her husband and three-year-old daughter.
posted by pxe2000 (30 comments total) 3 users marked this as a favorite
 
unknown causes?
it wasn't the noose around her neck?
and who, exactly?
posted by Busithoth at 10:50 AM on November 3, 2006


According to Cinematical and her entry on Wikipedia (both of which I linked to in the post), the cause of death is unknown. In any event, the New York Post isn't exactly known for being the most accurate newspaper. (Perhaps I should have posted "unknown causes at press time"?)
posted by pxe2000 at 10:58 AM on November 3, 2006


This is sad.

Adrienne Shelly spoke at my college years ago, and despite the talk being about her own directing (I think she had just finished shooting I'll Take You There) she got asked the inevitable questions about working with Hal Hartley. And she answered with her signature vivacity and flair for detail. I'll never forget her description of him standing behind the camera shouting "Less! Less!" at the actors between takes.
posted by RogerB at 10:59 AM on November 3, 2006


"Do you trust me?"


"If you trust me first"
God, I loved that movie.


.
posted by matteo at 11:06 AM on November 3, 2006


Sad to hear this. Trust is Hartley's most enduring work, in no small part due to Shelly's performance.

At the time I saw it (about 1993-94) I was completely dismissive about cinema's ability to connect to people in any real way. Most film, whether from Hollywood or from independents, left me cold in some way. Ironically, the disconnected, stilted dialogue and the stark cinematography of Trust created a sense of connection to the work, to it's tone and message.

Hartley's style at the time must've been difficult to work with for most actors, but Shelly managed to pull it of.
posted by action man bow-tie at 11:09 AM on November 3, 2006


Sad.
posted by Hogshead at 11:09 AM on November 3, 2006


Trust was one of the few films that I told my friends to see.
ALmost perfect date film.
posted by doctorschlock at 11:49 AM on November 3, 2006


.
posted by TonyRobots at 11:55 AM on November 3, 2006


I loved Trust so much. I need to see it again.

.
posted by avoision at 11:58 AM on November 3, 2006


.

(i can't believe she was 40 already)
posted by amberglow at 12:46 PM on November 3, 2006


.
posted by dog food sugar at 1:15 PM on November 3, 2006


.
posted by msali at 2:14 PM on November 3, 2006


.
posted by hugecranium at 2:35 PM on November 3, 2006


.
posted by muckster at 3:09 PM on November 3, 2006


Wow. Sad news. I met Adrienne once in 1990. I did my best to get her interested in a screenplay I'd written. She gave me her agent's card and encouraged me to send it along. She was so hopeful, then, and seemed to have such a bright future ahead of her. I was sure she'd bust out of the indie world.

Judging by interviews, over the years her attitude and outlook changed drastically. I remember reading numerous pieces in which she bemoaned her own career and said that she didn't see anyone taking interest in someone who "looks like me."

I know lots of people who believe she was nothing without Hal Hartley. I happen to think that, with maybe the exception of Amateur, he never made a feature without her that was worth watching.

.
posted by dobbs at 4:42 PM on November 3, 2006


She was a genius. She will be missed terribly.

Any word on her burial?
posted by kayalovesme at 5:46 PM on November 3, 2006


Damn. Sad news.

God, I loved that movie.

I loved Trust so much. I need to see it again.

Ditto. Ditto. One of my all-time faves.

No note. Triple sadness.

...
posted by mrgrimm at 6:00 PM on November 3, 2006


...

I love Trust and all of Hal Hartley's films. Trust is perhaps the best (this new is odd because I just rented the Girl From Monday).
posted by christopher.taylor at 10:57 PM on November 3, 2006


Sad. She was luminous on screen, and it's unfortunate that she was never able to parlay that into bigger roles.
posted by outlier at 5:55 AM on November 4, 2006


(i can't believe she was 40 already)

She might have been thinking the same thing.
posted by pracowity at 8:18 AM on November 4, 2006


.
posted by quibx at 3:57 PM on November 4, 2006


.
posted by jlbartosa at 8:10 PM on November 4, 2006


this truly sucks.
posted by dong_resin at 6:59 AM on November 6, 2006


It was a construction worker--... Pillco, a construction worker, apparently confessed to the crime.

Pillco allegedly punched the 5-foot-2 actress after she complained about the noise he was making in the West Village apartment building where her office is located, killing her.

He then allegedly admitted to dragging the body up to her office, and positioning her in the shower to make her death look like a suicide....

posted by amberglow at 4:24 PM on November 6, 2006


amber, I was about the post the same thing. So fucking terrible.
posted by TonyRobots at 6:21 PM on November 6, 2006


this is awful
posted by muckster at 8:46 PM on November 6, 2006


*sigh* He was afraid of being deported so he punched her.
posted by doctorschlock at 9:03 AM on November 7, 2006


Geez. That is so sad.
posted by dog food sugar at 2:36 PM on November 7, 2006


wow. this story just gets sadder and sadder.
posted by Busithoth at 9:28 PM on November 7, 2006


.
posted by LeeJay at 9:15 AM on November 9, 2006


« Older British believe Bush is more dangerous than Kim...   |   "Yeah, I know the meeting will be there, but will... Newer »


This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments