Robert Duvall, Star of The Godfather and The Great Santini, Dies at 95

Robert Duvall, the actor with over 100 film and TV credits to his name, including The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, and The Great Santini, has passed away. The Academy Award-winner’s death was confirmed online by his wife, Luciana Duvall, who revealed that Duvall died yesterday, February 15th, passing away “peacefully at home, surrounded by love and comfort.” Duvall was 95.

Born in San Diego, California, on January 5, 1931, Duvall once said that he was “terrible at everything” except for acting, later studying under Sanford Meisner in the 1950s, where he would meet the likes of Dustin Hoffman, Gene Hackman, and James Caan. Though he spent the first few years of his acting career on the stage, appearing in performances of A Streetcar Named Desire, among others, Duvall made his screen debut in 1960, appearing in a slew of noteworthy TV shows like Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Twilight Zone, The Virginian, The Untouchables, The Wild Wild West, and more. At the same time, Duvall would make his feature film debut, with his first movie credit being the reclusive “Boo” Radley in the iconic To Kill a Mockingbird feature film.

Robert Duvall Dies at 95

One of the best partnerships formed by Duvall in his career was his collaborations with Francis Ford Coppola. The pair initially met while Duvall was starring in George Lucas’ 1971 science fiction movie, THX-1138, where Coppola was an executive producer. After this, Coppola would cast Duvall as Tom Hagen, the consigliere and lawyer to the Corleones, for both The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, with the former earning Duvall his first Academy Award nomination. Duvall would reunite with Coppola as Lt. Colonel Kilgore in Apocalypse Now, delivering one of the most iconic lines in the film, “I love the smell of napalm in the morning.” He would earn his second Oscar nomination for his work in the war epic.

The same year that Duvall appeared in Apocalypse Now, he would also star in another war film, The Great Santini, earning him yet another Academy Award nomination. Duvall would eventually win an Academy Award in 1984, taking home the prize for Best Actor in a Leading Role for the film Tender Mercies. He would go on to be nominated three more times at the Oscars, earning a Best Actor nod for 1997’s The Apostle (which he also wrote and directed), plus Best Supporting Actor nominations for 1998’s A Civil Action and 2014’s The Judge. Duvall’s final appearance as an actor was just a few years ago, appearing in a small role for the Netflix thriller The Pale Blue Eye, opposite Christian Bale.

“To the world, he was an Academy Award-winning actor, a director, a storyteller,” Luciana Duvall wrote on social media. “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.”

Our thoughts are with Duvall’s family and friends during this time.