(1970 - 1979) (divorced)
In Glen and Randa, her latest film, she plays a girl with no family, no education, no past, who journey's with Glenn (played by her husband Steve Curry) across the vast U.S. wasteland which remains after the nuclear holocaust of World War III.
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The director, Jim McBride, who surfaced from the underground with his award winning David Holzman's Diary, has signed Shelley's husband, Steve Curry, to play the leading role of Glenn.
But whom was to co-star?
"Why don't I bring my wife over? The part's beautiful for her," said Steve.
"It's just how we are."
Enter Shelley's and Steve's manager, who told the casting director Shelley would be perfect for the part.
"If you want to know anything more about her" he said, "she's auditioning for George Segal for Scuba Duba in summer stock right now."
Shelley had no more than finished auditioning for Segal when McBride's casting director called.
Segal gave out a resounding earful of "Wow" and "she's a great actress" and "she's fantastic" and "she's incredible".
"It was funny," says Shelley.
"Segal went into this whole thing without ever seeing me act.
As far as he knew, I could have been the worst.
But he dug me.
The casting director was still down on the whole idea, but he relented and said 'Okay, bring her in.'
I went in and they kept Stevie and me reading for two days.
Then we had a screen test.
Everything was nice and relaxed.
We did two scenes from the script and Jim really dug them.
I got the part."
The shooting of Glenn and Randa is loose, casual.
Every day Jim McBride talks to them about the day's scene and then leaves the rest up to them.
The little dialogue is largely extemporaneous.
They play the parts as they feel them.
Scenes are dropped.
Scenes are added.
"It's hard making a film" Shelley says "because there is no continuity. You do one little two minute thing over and over till you get it right and then it's on to something else.
It's not at all like acting on stage.
It's more like just doing something."
Which is pretty much the story of her life.
Just doing something.
Just waiting for something to happen.
Right now she's waiting to hear of she will play Jane in Bob Downey's Broadway version of Tarzan. And then she and Steve are waiting "to ear enough money so we can get some land and a house in the country so that I can start having babies."