Actor Robert Duvall, who appeared in The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, has died at the age of 95.
The Oscar winner for Tender Mercies died “peacefully” at his home in Middleburg, Virginia, on Sunday, according to a statement sent by his PR agency on behalf of his wife, Luciana.
“To the world, he was an Academy Award-winning actor, a director, a storyteller. To me, he was simply everything,” she said. “His passion for his craft was matched only by his deep love for characters, a great meal, and holding court.”
Godfather star Al Pacino paid tribute, saying it was an “honour” to work with Duvall.
He added: “He was a born actor as they say, his connection with it, his understanding and his phenomenal gift will always be remembered.
“I will miss him.”
Duvall was known for numerous tough-guy roles over an impressive six-decade career, such as the mafia consigliere in Francis Ford Coppola‘s The Godfather and The Godfather Part II.
He also played a forceful army officer in Coppola’s Vietnam epic Apocalypse Now.
He only had a few minutes of screen time but his famous line in the 1979 classic, “I love the smell of napalm in the morning”, became legendary.
Coppola called his loss “a blow”.
“Such a great actor and such an essential part of American Zoetrope from its beginning,” Coppola said in a statement on Instagram, referring to his production company.
His Apocalypse Now character was originally meant to be even more over the top but Duvall toned it down and the name was changed from Captain Carnage to Lieutenant Colonel William Kilgore.
“I did my homework,” Duvall told veteran talk show host Larry King in 2015. “I did my research.”
Tributes began to pour in for Duvall after news broke of his death.
American comedian and actor Adam Sandler posted photographs of the two from their time together shooting the 2022 film Hustle.
“Funny as hell. Strong as hell. One of the greatest actors we ever had. Such a great man to talk to and laugh with … sending his wife Luciana and all his family and friends our condolences.”
Oscar winner Jamie Lee-Curtis also posted a tribute on Instagram with a picture of Duvall as Tom Hagen in The Godfather.
“The greatest consigliere the screen has ever seen. Bravo, Robert Duvall.”
Co-star, Robert Patrick, who played the son of Duvall’s character in the 2013 film Jayne Mansfield’s Car said he was “gutted”.
“Over the years I would call Bobby and we’d talk movies and barbecue. He loved barbecue and I’d always let him know when I was having it in Lockhart, Texas.”
“I will miss Bobby. I will always be proud that I got to play his son. Rest in peace my friend.”
The statement from Duvall’s wife continued: “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.”
Nominated for seven Oscars, Duvall won best actor in 1983 for playing a washed-up country singer in Tender Mercies.
His other roles included a bullying corporate executive in 1976’s Network, and a Marine officer in 1979’s The Great Santini, as well as parts in 1990’s The Handmaid’s Tale and 2014’s The Judge alongside Robert Downey Jr.
Duvall often said his favourite role was as the Texas Ranger-turned-cowboy Augustus McCrae in Lonesome Dove in the 1989 TV mini-series, based on the novel by Larry McMurtry.
He made his screen debut in the 1963 film adaptation of Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, playing the reclusive Boo Radley.
“When he did To Kill A Mockingbird he just destroyed you with his performance of Boo Radley, he used not a single word of dialogue, not a single word, and he just shatters you,” US actor Alec Baldwin said in a short video tribute to Duvall.
The screenplay was written by Horton Foote, who also wrote several other films Duvall starred in, including Tender Mercies, Tomorrow and The Chase.
In 1997’s The Apostle, which he wrote and directed, Duvall played an evangelical preacher who begins a new life in Louisiana after committing a crime.
British actress Jane Seymour, who worked with Duvall on the 1995 film The Stars Fell on Henrietta, shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram.
“We were able to share in his love of barbecue and even a little tango,” Seymour wrote alongside a photo of herself with Duvall. “Those moments off camera were just as memorable as the work itself.”
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