‘The Shining’: Danny Lloyd Was Promised the Tricycle From the Movie but He Never Received It
Often when movies wrap up, it’s tradition for the actors to receive a prop from the set. In the Harry Potter series, Daniel Radcliffe took his character’s iconic glasses. For Deadpool, Ryan Reynolds kept his character’s suit. And as for The Shining, child actor Danny Lloyd was promised the famous tricycle he uses throughout the film. Yet, unfortunately for Lloyd, he never received it.
Danny Lloyd had no idea he was starring in a horror movie while filming
Hilariously enough, Danny Lloyd was clueless that he was starring in one of the greatest horror films of all time. To give the child actor peace of mind, he was told that he was acting in a drama film about a family living in a hotel. According to an interview with (adult) Lloyd for The Guardian, during the violent scenes, they would use a Dummy doll as opposed to the actor.
And while actors like Shelley Duvall and Jack Nicholson had a rough time on set, the whole experience was pleasant for Lloyd. He would even play catch with Stanley Kubrick, go on Easter egg hunts with the young actors who play the creepy twins, and eat peanut butter sandwiches with them. And while Duvall was forced to shoot a scene for over 127 takes, Lloyd usually only needed two takes total for a single shoot.
According to The Guardian,
“At the time, aged five, he had no idea The Shining was a horror film – Kubrick decided not to tell him the plot. He thought it was a drama about a family who lived in a hotel. Kubrick was an imposing presence, a big slab of a man with a reputation for being difficult and exacting. What did Lloyd make of him? ‘Stanley was great. I remember him playing ball with me, playing catch, stuff like that. He was a big guy with a beard, but I don’t remember ever being scared of him or intimidated or anything.’”
Danny Lloyd was disappointed he never got his favorite prop
It was a disappointing moment when Lloyd realized he’d never received his favorite toy from The Shining. Unfortunately for the young actor, he was promised he’d get to keep the tricycle that he’d been peddling all over the orange and red carpeting of the Overlook Hotel. And that promise was broken because it never showed up at his doorstep.
“I was waiting and waiting for it,” he says. “But it never came.”
The young boy from ‘The Shining’ is now a biology professor, and his students make ‘Redrum’ references
For Lloyd, he decided to give up a career in acting pretty early on in the game. He now lives in Kentucky as a biology professor for a community college. And hilariously enough, his students won’t stop making “Redrum” references.
When Duvall was asked what it was like working with the young actor, she had nothing but pleasant things to say. “I loved working with little Danny Lloyd, such a smart and clever little boy,” says Duvall in an interview with comingsoon.net.
“He knew all his lines from day 1. He was very impressive for a 6-year-old! Very enthusiastic and just a darling! It is sad that he didn’t continue acting. He was so professional and just knew what to do with his character. He even came up with his ‘Tony’ voice himself, an amazing little boy! I used to spoil him a lot. I’d always bring candy to the set and toys for him to play with.”
Overall, Lloyd’s experience in The Shining was a pleasant one. “The Shining was a good experience,” he says. “I look back on it fondly.”
