Acting icon Robert Duvall dies, aged 95
Robert Duvall, who played Tom Hagen in The Godfather and the napalm-loving colonel in Apocalypse Now, has died at the age of 95 after an illustrious career.
Source: X
Oscar-winning actor Robert Duvall’s wife says The Godfather star has died at the age of 95.
Luciana Duvall said her beloved “Bob” passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by love and comfort.
“Yesterday we said goodbye to my beloved husband, cherished friend, and one of the greatest actors of our time,” she posted to Facebook on Monday (US time).
“To the world, he was an Academy Award-winning actor, a director, a storyteller.
“To me, he was simply everything.”
Duvall had iconic roles in movies like The Godfather, Apocalypse Now and won a best actor Oscar for his role as a former country music star in Tender Mercies (1983).
His career spanned nearly 70 years.
“His passion for his craft was matched only by his deep love for characters, a great meal, and holding court,” Luciana said.
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“For each of his many roles, Bob gave everything to his characters and to the truth of the human spirit they represented.
In doing so, he leaves something lasting and unforgettable to us all.”
Duvall’s widow ended her statement thanking fans for their years of support and requested privacy.
Luciana Duvall released a statement and photo on Facebook.
Her post drew thousands of comments, with people reminiscing on their favourite Duvall movies.
Facebook user Lois Lopez said Duvall was a great actor.
“Whenever I saw Robert Duvall’s name on the bill of a movie, it was on the top of my list.
“His range and comfort in his craft was among the very best, with such authenticity that many just cant show, even after years. God rest his soul.”
The bald, wiry Duvall didn’t have leading man looks, but few “character actors” enjoyed such a long, rewarding and unpredictable career, in leading and supporting roles, from an itinerant preacher to Josef Stalin.
Duvall made his screen debut in 1963’s To Kill A Mockingbird, playing the mysterious Boo Radley, before starring in 1979’s The Great Santini, 1990’s The Handmaid’s Tale, and 2014’s The Judge alongside Robert Downey jr.
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The star earned his first of seven Oscar nominations for playing Mafia consigliere Tom Hagen in 1972’s The Godfather — a role which he reprised in The Godfather Part II.
He went on to score his second best supporting actor Oscar nomination in 1979 for his performance as Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore in 1979’s Apocalypse Now, which he made famous with the line: “I love the smell of napalm in the morning”.
Duvall’s best actor Oscar win came in 1984 for Tender Mercies, in which he played a country music star recovering from alcoholism.
He also won four Golden Globes, including one for playing the philosophical cattle-drive boss in the 1989 miniseries Lonesome Dove, a role he often cited as his favourite.
Robert Selden Duvall grew up in the US Navy town of Annapolis and the San Diego area, where he was born in 1931.
He spent time in other cities as his father, who rose to be an admiral, was assigned to various duties.
The young Duvall’s experience helped in his adult profession as he learned the nuances of regional speech and observed the psyche of military men, who he would portray in several films.
Robert Duvall as Tom Hagen in The Godfather, 1972. Photo: AAP
Between his high-paying jobs in major productions, Duvall devoted himself to directing personal projects: a documentary about a prairie family, We’re Not the Jet Set; a film about gypsies, Angelo, My Love; and Assassination Tango, in which he also starred.
Duvall had been a tango dancer since seeing the musical Tango Argentina in the 1980s and visited Argentina dozens of times to study the dance and the culture.
The result was the 2003 release about a hit man with a passion for tango.
His co-star was Luciana Pedraza, 42 years his junior, whom he married in 2005.
Duvall’s three previous marriages — to Barbara Benjamin, Gail Youngs and Sharon Brophy — ended in divorce.
He had no children.
-with AAP
