Robert Duvall, the celebrated actor whose commanding performances in films like The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, and Tender Mercies made him one of the most respected figures in American cinema, has died at the age of 95. According to a statement from his family, Duvall died peacefully at his home in Middleburg, Virginia, on Sunday.
Over a career spanning six decades, Duvall amassed seven Academy Award nominations and one win, establishing himself as a versatile performer equally convincing as a mob consigliere, a war-obsessed colonel, or a small-town country singer. His portrayal of Tom Hagen in Coppola’s 1972 masterpiece The Godfather catapulted him to stardom, a role he reprised in the 1974 sequel. He famously declined to return for The Godfather Part III over a pay dispute, calling it “a matter of principle.”
Remembering the Life and Legacy of Robert Duvall
Born in San Diego to a career naval officer, Duvall served in the Army during the Korean War before studying drama under the renowned Sanford Meisner in New York. During those early years, he shared an apartment with Dustin Hoffman and counted Gene Hackman among his close circle — a remarkable concentration of talent that would go on to reshape Hollywood.
His breakthrough came with the small but memorable role of Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird in 1962, and he never slowed down. He won his lead acting Oscar for 1983’s Tender Mercies, performing his own vocals as a down-and-out country singer. His turn as Lt. Col. Kilgore in Apocalypse Now gave audiences one of cinema’s most quoted lines: “I love the smell of napalm in the morning.”
Duvall remained active well into his eighties, earning his final Oscar nomination at 84 for 2014’s The Judge. He also stepped behind the camera, writing and directing The Apostle in 1997.
No formal service will be held. His family instead encouraged admirers to honor his memory by “watching a great film, telling a good story around a table with friends, or taking a drive in the countryside to appreciate the world’s beauty.”
