Robert Duvall, Hollywood Legend From Apocalypse Now And The Godfather, Dead At 95

Actor Robert Duvall has died at 95. On February 15, the actor died in his home, per a Facebook post from his wife Luciana Duvall. The cause of Duvall's death has not been confirmed at this time of writing.

One of the finest actors of his generation, Duvall's first on-screen credits date back to 1960, and he has been part of some of the greatest movies of all time, from "The Godfather" to "Apocalypse Now." Over the decades, he has been nominated for dozens of awards, many of which he's won. In 1984, he won the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his turn as country singer Mac Sledge in the 1983 drama "Tender Mercies," and he's been nominated for no less than six more Oscars since. 

According to a statement by his wife, "To the world, he was an Academy Award-winning actor, a director, a storyteller. 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."

Watch a legendary movie, and there's a fair chance that you'll see Robert Duvall stealing a good few scenes. In fact, to list his most captivating roles, you might have to list virtually all of his roles. 

You might remember Duvall as consigliere lawyer Tom Hagen in "The Godfather" and "The Godfather Part II," or for his equally stellar, yet drastically different turn as Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore in "Apocalypse Now," in which capacity he delivered the famous "I love the smell of napalm in the morning" line. He brought to life characters like Boo Radley in "To Kill A Mockingbird," Major Frank Burns in the 1970 movie version of "MASH," Sergeant Martin Pendergast in the Michael Douglas rampage flick "Falling Down," and the titular character in George Lucas' first movie, the sci-fi social commentary "THX 1138" — as well as countless other iconic characters. In other words, Duvall was one of those very, very rare actors who could elevate virtually any movie, regardless of the genre. 

A look at Duvall's résumé makes it easy to believe that he was a once-in-a-lifetime talent, and this may very well be the case. Still, though he isn't with us anymore, the actor himself was extremely positive about the future of his craft. "There will always be good actors," Duvall told WBUR in 2021. "I feel that the work done now ensemble-wise is better than before. It goes on and on and on and on."

A fine sentiment to leave us with. Duvall will be missed.