Actress, writer and directorAdrienne Shelly was found dead in her New York City apartment on Wednesday inan apparent suicide. The Medical Examiner has not ruled on the official causeof death.

Shelly, 40, was known forher roles in Hal Hartley's 1989 The Unbelievable Truth and 1990 Trust and she recently appeared in Factotum and Revolution #9 (for which she was also an associate producer).

She recently completed herthird film as a writer/director, Waitress starring Keri Russell, Cheryl Hines, Jeremy Sisto and Andy Griffith.The romantic comedy is about a pregnant, unhappily married waitress in the DeepSouth who strikes up a relationship with a newcomer in town. Michael Roiff's Night& Day Pictures produced and Shelly was said to have already submitted thefilm to Sundance.

Her previous features were1999's I'll Take You There and1997's Sudden Manhattan.

Her body was discovered byher husband Andy Ostroy in their West Village apartment.

Shelly, 40, was bornAdrienne Levine in Queens and raised on Long Island, NY. She is survived by herhusband and their three-year-old daughter.