Adrienne Shelly
| Adrienne Shelly | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Adrienne Levine June 24, 1966 Queens, New York, United States |
| Died | November 1, 2006 (aged 40) Greenwich Village, New York, United States |
| Cause of death | Homicide |
| Occupation | Actress, director, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1989–2006 |
| Spouse(s) | Andy Ostroy (1994–2006; her death) |
| Children | Sophie Ostroy (b.2003) |
Adrienne Levine (June 24, 1966 – November 1, 2006), better known by the stage name Adrienne Shelly (sometimes credited as Adrienne Shelley), was an American actress, film director and screenwriter. She became known for roles in independent films such as 1989's The Unbelievable Truth and 1990's Trust. She wrote, co-starred in, and directed the 2007-released film Waitress, which ultimately won five awards. In late 2006 Shelly was the married mother of an infant daughter and was waiting to see if Waitress would be accepted for the Sundance Film Festival.
On November 1, 2006, Shelly was found dead, hanging in the shower of her Greenwich Village work studio apartment. The initial examination of the scene did not reveal any suspicious circumstances, and police apparently believed it to be a suicide. Her husband insisted she would never have taken her own life, and brought about a re-examination of the bathroom that disclosed a suspect footprint. Police arrested a construction worker, an illegal immigrant from Ecuador who confessed to killing Shelly and making it look as if she had committed suicide. Shelly's husband established the Adrienne Shelly Foundation, which awards scholarships, production grants, finishing funds, and living stipends to artists. In her honor, the Women Film Critics Circle gives an annual Adrienne Shelly Award to the film that it finds "most passionately opposes violence against women."
Shelly was born Adrienne Levine in Queens, New York, to Sheldon M. Levine and Elaine Langbaum. She had two brothers, Jeff and Mark, and was raised on Long Island. She began performing when she was about 10 at Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center. Shelly made her professional debut in a production of the musical Annie while a student at Jericho High School in Jericho, New York. She went on to Boston University, majoring in film production, but dropped out after her junior year and moved to Manhattan.
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