Robert Duvall, an Oscar-winning actor with a career that spanned decades, died Sunday at age 95. His wife Luciana announced his passing in a Facebook post.
“Yesterday we said goodbye to my beloved husband, cherished friend, and one of the greatest actors of our time,” said the message. “Bob passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by love and comfort.”
According to the National Endowment for the Arts, Duvall was born in San Diego, Calif., and grew up in Annapolis, Md. After serving a two-year tour of duty in the U.S. Army he moved to New York in 1955 and enrolled at the Neighborhood Playhouse on the G.I. Bill. There, he studied under the renowned acting teacher Sanford Meisner.
By 1963 Duvall was on the screen playing Boo Radley in “To Kill a Mockingbird” and throughout that decade he would appear in a number of films. In 1972, he took on one of his most well-known roles for the first time: consigliere Tom Hagen in Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather”.
He received an best supporting actor Oscar nomination for the performance. Duvall was nominated again in 1979 for his performance as Kilgore in “Apocalypse Now”, also directed by Coppola. A best actor nomination came in 1980 for his performance in “the Great Santini” and Duvall won the best actor award in 1983 for his role as country music star Max Sledge in “Tender Mercies”.
In addition to film, Duvall also appeared on the small screen. He won an Emmy award for his performance in the “Lonesome Dove” miniseries.
Duvall also branched out to production in the 1990s with the creation of Butchers Run Films. He would also go on to direct and star in “The Apostle” and received another best actor Academy Award nomination for it. His performance in “Civil Action” later that decade scored a sixth Oscar nomination for Duvall and another came in 2014 for “The Judge” – he kept working into the 2020s.
“To the world, he was an Academy Award-winning actor, a director, a storyteller,” said Luciana. “To me, he was simply everything. His passion for his craft was matched only by his deep love for characters, a great meal, and holding court. 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. Thank you for the years of support you showed Bob and for giving us this time and privacy to celebrate the memories he leaves behind.”