Donaldson Collection/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty ImagesHelp is on the way for Shelley Duvall.
The 67-year-old star, who quit acting almost 15 years ago, recently drew sympathy from scores of viewers who watched promos for an interview she gave Dr. Phil, in which she revealed she is suffering from mental illness. Many people slammed Dr. Phil McGraw for allegedly exploiting the actress, even calling for a show boycott. One of them, Vivian Kubrick, daughter of Stanley Kubrick, who had directed Duvall in The Shining, said the interview "has nothing to do with compassionate healing."
Now she is taking the initiative to help the actress financially. On Friday, Vivian sent up a GoFundMe page to raise money for Duvall and as of Saturday morning, more than $14,500 has been donated—15 percent of a $100,000 goal.
The page reads, "Like many older movie stars, embarrassed finances is not uncommon. Showing your love and support for Shelley Duvall by making a donation can start her back on the road to independence and perhaps back to health and for her fans, more superb performances!
"All of the funds raised on this GoFundMe account are going to Shelley Duvall," Vivian wrote. "Just to tell you more about why I started the fund. Lee Unkrich of TOY STORY fame has been writing a book about the making of The Shining. In his efforts to get an interview with Shelley, he spoke first with her friends, they said she was financially hard up and unwell and Shelley declined to do the interview. Neither Lee nor myself, had any idea how severe Shelley's state of health was until Lee texted me a link to the Dr. Phil trailer 2 nights ago. We were both horrified. That's when I fired off my 2 Tweets to Dr. Phil."
Unkrich, who directed Toy Story 2 and Toy Story 3, tweeted Thursday, "I watched the interview. No redeeming value. She was put on display like the town crazy."
"I want to have you checked out by some really good doctors," McGraw tells Duvall on the episode. "They're going to help you feel better."
He said that he had Duvall taken to a treatment facility in California but that she left after three days after refusing treatment and returned to her home in Texas. He said she is now receiving treatment there.