Robert Duvall Dies at 95
Acting legend Robert Duvall passed away at age 95, with director Francis Ford Coppola paying tribute on Instagram to his longtime friend and collaborator. Duvall's essential role in American cinema included classics like "The Godfather," "The Conversation," and "The Rain People." Coppola highlighted Duvall's profound impact on filmmaking and his influence on generations of actors and directors.
- Over his seven-decade career, Robert Duvall was nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning Best Actor in 1984 for his role as a country music singer in "Tender Mercies". His other nominations were for "The Godfather," "Apocalypse Now," "The Great Santini," "The Apostle," "A Civil Action," and "The Judge". - His first film role was the memorable, non-speaking part of Arthur "Boo" Radley in the 1962 classic "To Kill a Mockingbird". - In addition to his on-screen work, Duvall stepped behind the camera to direct several films, including "The Apostle," which he also wrote and starred in, earning an Oscar nomination for his performance. His production company, Butcher's Run Films, was founded in 1992. - Duvall was also an accomplished television actor, winning two Emmy Awards for the 2006 miniseries "Broken Trail" and receiving nominations for his roles as Augustus "Gus" McCrae in "Lonesome Dove" (1989) and as Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin in "Stalin" (1992). - One of his most iconic lines, "I love the smell of napalm in the morning," was delivered in the film "Apocalypse Now," a role that earned him a BAFTA and a Golden Globe Award. - A dispute over his salary for "The Godfather Part III" led him to decline to reprise his role as Tom Hagen; he publicly stated he was offered significantly less than his co-stars. - The son of a U.S. Navy admiral, Duvall served in the Army for two years during the Korean War before studying drama at New York's Neighborhood Playhouse. - An avid tango dancer, Duvall directed and starred in the 2002 film "Assassination Tango," a project inspired by his passion for the Argentine dance. He married Argentine actress and director Luciana Pedraza in 2005.
