Be Afraid Of Never Living

Adrienne Shelly was an actress, film director, and screenwriter. She became known from acting in independent films such as Hal Hartley's The Unbelievable Truth (1989) and Trust (1990). She wrote, directed, and co-starred in the 2007 Waitress, a posthumous film which later became a Broadway show.

Police initially said Shelly's death in 2006 was a suicide. Her husband insisted on a re-evaluation, which resulted in the conviction of a construction worker that had been working in her building. 

​Adrienne Levine was born on June 7, 1966, in Queens, New York. By ten years old, she was already acting at the Stagedoor Manor Performing Arts Training Center. She made her professional debut while still in high school in a production of “Annie”. After graduating, she enrolled in Boston University and majored in film production. But she dropped out and moved to Manhattan to pursue her acting career. 

​It wasn’t long before she caught the attention of Hal Hartley, and he cast her for some of his independent films. Her talent was recognized by both agents and audiences. She decided to go by the name Adrienne Shelly as a tribute to her father. She continued to get film roles and guest starred in several TV shows including Law and Order, Oz and Homicide: Life on the Streets. As much as she enjoyed being in front of the camera, she still loved performing in front of live audiences. Shelly starred in major roles in over two dozen off Broadway plays, often at Manhattan’s Workhouse Theater. 

​Although Shelly was a gifted actress, she became tired of the rampant sexism she felt she faced in the industry. She wanted to transition from a performer to a playwright. And she did. It turns out that she was also brilliant behind the camera. In 1999, she wrote, directed, and acted in the movie, “I’ll take you there” and won multiple film awards.  She was quickly achieving every goal she had set, except for one, she wanted a family.

A new chapter of her life started in 2001, when she met Andy Ostroy on Match.com. Andy was chairman and CEO at a marketing firm. The two instantly knew they were meant to be together. In 2002, they got married and in 2003, they welcomed their beautiful daughter, Sophie. 

Being pregnant inspired Shelly, and she wrote another screenplay, “Waitress”. She not only wrote it, she directed it, acted in and helped with the set and costumes. The movie starred Keri Russell. 

Shelly finally had the family she had dreamed of and the career she had worked so hard to achieve, but she did not get to enjoy it for very long. 

​On November 1, 2006, Shelly was found dead. Andy had dropped her off at her office at 9:30 that morning. She used an apartment in the Abingdon Square of Manhattan’s West Village as her office. They usually talked during the day, and he became concerned when he had not heard from her. He drove back over and asked the doorman to accompany him upstairs to the apartment to check on her. At 5:45pm, they found her hanging from the shower curtain rod with a bedsheet tied around her neck. 

​The police were called and an after a quick investigation, the NYPD thought it appeared to be a suicide. There was no noticeable evidence of foul play. Or was there? Andy noted that the front door was unlocked. That wasn’t normal. Shelly would have locked behind her. He also noticed that money was missing from her wallet. It all seemed suspicious to him. He insisted that she was extremely happy with her life, personally and professionally, and she would not have taken her own life. He also knew she would never have left her daughter motherless. Andy’s protesting prompted further investigation. 

​An autopsy found that she died from neck compression. But was she the one that tied the sheet? Upon a more in depth exam of the crime scene, a sneaker print was found with dust on the toilet beside where her body was found hanging. The print matched other shoe prints in the building where construction work was being done.  

​On November 6, the police arrested Diego Pillco. A nineteen-year-old from Ecuador. He confessed, on tape, to attacking her and then faking her suicide. Originally, he said that she demanded that they keep the noise down and out of anger, he threw a hammer at her. Afraid that she might complain about his behavior, which would no doubt get him deported, he followed her to her apartment. He said once she noticed he was following her, she slapped him, and he punched her in the face. She fell down unconscious. Thinking that the punch he had killed her, he decided to stage her death to make it look like a suicide. But, the evidence that they had to that point did not support his story of what happened. According to his story, Shelly would have had trauma to her face and the back of her head. And the autopsy found neither. 

​Pillco changed his account during the trial phase in 2008. Now he was claiming that he was returning from his lunch break and saw her entering an elevator. He knew she had money and decided to rob her. He thought once she opened the door and went inside, he could sneak in the door behind her and grab her purse. It almost worked. He was in her door when Shelly saw him. She grabbed her phone and told him she's calling the police. He managed to get the phone away from her and covered her mouth to keep her from screaming. He must have prevented her from breathing because she did become unconscious. He wrapped a sheet around her neck and dragged her into the bathroom, where he hung her from the shower. That story seemed more probable. It also meant that he must have cleaned the crime scene after their scuffle, or there would have been evidence of a struggle. 

​The medical examiner did state that Shelly was still alive when she was hung. There was some truth in Pillco’s first statement, he wanted to make sure Shelly wouldn’t report him. Diego Pillco pleaded guilty to first degree manslaughter and was sentenced to 25 years without parole. Since he was an immigrant in the country illegally, he was also scheduled to be deported to Ecuador after his release. 

​On March 12, 2008, at Pillco’s sentencing, Andy and other family members had the opportunity to speak. Andy said Adrienne Shelly was the kindest, warmest, most loving and generous person that he had ever met. That she was incredibly smart, funny and talented. A bright light with an infectious laugh and a huge smile that radiated her inner and outer beauty. He said that Pillco was nothing more than a cold-blooded killer and that he would never forgive him. Although that would not be the last time, Andy and Pillco faced each other. 

At his arrest, Pillco still owed $12,000 for being smuggled into the US. He was living in the basement of a building that his employer owned. Andy sued Pillco’s employer. Alleging that Shelly would still be alive if he had not employed Pillco. And that he did so knowing that he was here illegally. 

Andy even went after the owners of Shelly’s apartment building for hiring that contracting company. But on July 7, 2011, a judge dismissed the claims, saying that while he sympathized with Andy’s loss, there was insufficient evidence to show they were vicariously liable for the death. They had no reason to believe Pillco was a danger to himself or others upon hiring him, and legal ground could not be determined to hold them accountable. 

​Adrienne Shelly’s memory has been kept alive in many ways. In 2007, Law and Order did an episode that was based around her death. She had guest starred on an episode in 2000. 

Investigation Discovery also aired an episode about her. Andy wanted for Shelly to be more than another statistic, more than a murder victim. He established the Adrienne Shelly Foundation which gives scholarships, production grants, finishing funds and living stipends to female artists. He created a memorial in Abingdon Square Park that faces the building where Shelly was killed. The Women’s Film Critics Circle gives an annual Adrienne Shelly Award in her honor, to a film that it believes passionately opposes violence against women.

And “Waitress” was more successful than anybody could have predicted. In 2007, it was accepted into the Sundance Film Festival. After viewing, it there, Fox Searchlight Pictures purchased the film for somewhere between 4–5 million dollars. It made over 19 million in box office sales. The movie still holds over a 90% approval rating on film sites like Rotten Tomatoes. Critics loved the film, saying it boldly defied convention. They said Shelly had a magical sensibility and enduring sense of humor. 

One critic even said “Waitress” was the upside down cake version of the Cinderella story. Shelly once said she tried to find what was funny in what was painful. The cast won awards, the screenplay won awards, and the film won multiple awards for Shelly’s skillful directing. “Waitress” saw fame far beyond the screen, when it later became a Broadway show. The musical had over 1500 performances from 2016 to 2020. It was also the first musical with an all-female principal creative team. 

​​ Even with the unfathomable grief they faced, Shelly’s family continued what she started. Andy even produced “Serious Moonlight”, another film written by Shelly before her death. It starred Meg Ryan and Kristen Bell. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2009. Shelly was loved and admired, and her family and friends have made sure she will not be forgotten. 

​On December 1, 2021, a documentary directed by Andy Ostroy premiered on HBO. The documentary is called “Adrienne”. It explores her life, her murder and her legacy. Andy even sits down in prison with her murderer, Diego Pillco, to discuss the day that changed both of their lives forever. Shelly’s daughter, Sophie, read a note Adrienne had written in a journal, it said “Don’t be afraid of dying, be afraid of never living”.