Trivia

Was working on Waitress (2007), starring Keri Russell, at the time of her murder. She was the film's writer and director.

Her killer pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Diego Pillco admitted strangling her after she caught him trying to rob her apartment. He also confessed to hanging her and staging it as a suicide. At the time he was helping to renovate an apartment in the same West Village building where she had an office. He said he panicked when she discovered him stealing from her purse and threatened to call the police.

In her memory, her widower, Andy Ostroy. created the Adrienne Shelly Foundation--a nonprofit organization that awards grants to female actors, writers, and/or directors of short films, feature films, and documentaries. The foundation was established in 2007 after Shelly was murdered in 2006 at the age of 40. Among the films supported by a Shelly Foundation grant are the features 40 ans, toujours dans le flow (2020), Long Way Home (2018), and Pariah (2011), and the documentaries Roll Red Roll (2018), Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story (2017), The Wolfpack (2015), and Freeheld (2007), which won an Academy Award for Best Documentary, Short Subject. The foundation also gave an early short film grant to Chloé Zhao, who eight years later became the second woman in history to win the Academy Award for Best Director.

Her death was first considered a suicide. Days later, a 19-year-old Ecuadorian construction worker confessed to slaying the actress, whom he left hanging by a bedsheet from a shower rod in the bathroom of her Manhattan office/apartment. She was found by her husband.

In order to honor the memory of his wife, Andy Ostroy decided to create www.adrienneshellyfoundation.org, a nonprofit foundation that will benefit female filmmakers. Ostroy announced his intention to create this foundation 13 days after Shelly's murder.

The particulars of her murder are re-imagined and dramatized in an episode of New York - Police judiciaire (1990) (1990-2010). The episode is Melting Pot (2007) (16 Feb 2007) Season #17, Episode #15.

Wrote the script to Waitress (2007) while expecting her daughter, Sophie Ostroy, who also appears in the movie.

Her professional surname was the first name of her father, who died when she was only 12.

Has a daughter, Sophie Ostroy, who was born in 2003, with her husband, Andy Ostroy.

The true investigation of her homicide is detailed in the cable show, "New York Homicide" Season 2, Episode 15, entitled, "Greenwich Village Homicide," where retired NYPD Detectives and the Ass't District Attorney who actually handled the case are interviewed. Often seen on the "Oxygen" cable channel.

Studied at Boston University, but dropped out after her junior year and moved to Manhattan, NY.

Used a Greenwich Village fourth-floor apartment as her office, located at 15 Abingdon Square.

Best known for her association with independent filmmaker Hal Hartley.

Listed as one of 12 "Promising New Actors of 1991" in John Willis' "Screen World", Vol. 43.

Of Russian Jewish descent, she made her professional debut in the stage production of "Annie" while a student at Jericho (NY) High School.

Her husband, Andy Ostroy, is the chairman and CEO of Belardi/Ostroy ALC LLC, a list-services firm.

Grew up on Long Island, NY.