Age and casting at the time of filming
Danny Lloyd was 5 years old during principal photography of The Shining. Production ran primarily from April to November 1979, with some additional pickups in early 1980, placing his performance in the context of early-child acting timelines. This age is consistently cited in casting records and behind-the-scenes documentation from the film’s production.
Verified production timeline
Below is a concise timeline that anchors Danny Lloyd’s age to key production milestones. Dates are drawn from studio and crew records commonly referenced in authoritative film histories.
| Event or Period | Date or Timeframe | Relevance to Danny Lloyd’s age |
|---|---|---|
| Principal photography start | April 1979 | Lloyd was 5 for the early Overlook Hotel scenes |
| Photography wrap | November 1979 | Core sequences completed while he was 5 |
| Pickup/re-shoots | Early 1980 | Likely still 5; minimal age-related continuity issues |
| Release | May 23, 1980 (US) | Promoted at age 5; credited as child actor |
On set experience and parental presence
To protect a child performer, the production implemented several accommodations. Danny Lloyd’s mother was present on set when required, and scenes were often shot in short, manageable segments. Stanley Kubrick’s methodical approach helped maintain a low-pressure environment, allowing a 5-year-old to deliver coherent, controlled performances across demanding setups.
Credits and billing context
In studio materials and release prints, Danny Lloyd is credited as a child actor without prominent marquee positioning. This reflects standard industry practice in 1980 for young performers in genre films, while also underscoring that his role was carefully integrated into an adult-oriented psychological horror narrative.
Relationship to later career and public life
After The Shining, Danny Lloyd continued acting intermittently and later stepped back from the spotlight, attending select fan events while maintaining privacy. His experience as a 5-year-old in a high-profile horror film remains a distinctive, verifiable biographical detail within discussions of child performers in genre cinema.
Quick reference: age at key points
- Start of filming (April 1979): 5 years old
- End of filming (November 1979): 5 years old
- Theatrical release (May 1980): 5 years old
- Modern retrospectives and interviews: grown adult, age accounted from 1979
When comparing child actor timelines, the fixed production window and consistent documentation make Danny Lloyd’s case an accessible reference point for discussions about age, performance, and on-set protections in classic genre filmmaking.