Actor and filmmaker Robert Duvall died on Saturday at his ranch in The Plains, Va., according to his wife. He was 95 years old.
His wife, Luciana Pedraza Duvall, announced the news on social media on Monday. She wrote:
Yesterday we said goodbye to my beloved husband, cherished friend, and one of the greatest actors of our time. Bob passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by love and comfort.
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. 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.
She also shared a picture of herself with her husband, two of their dogs, and one of their horses:
The son of Rear Admiral William Howard Duvall of the United States Navy and his wife, Mildred, Robert Duvall was born in 1931 in San Diego but grew up in Annapolis, Md. The self-described "navy brat" claimed that his father wanted him to attend the Naval Academy, but Duvall said he could barely get through school, and acting was the only thing he was good at.
He did eventually serve in the United States Army for a year and earned a bachelor's degree in drama from Principia College. In an interview with People magazine, he downplayed his service, saying, "That's led to some confusion in the press. Some stories have me shooting it out with the Commies from a foxhole over in Frozen Chosin. Pork Chop Hill stuff. Hell, I barely qualified with the M-1 rifle in basic training."
Duvall spent the first years of his professional acting career doing theater before eventually landing his first television role in an episode of Armstrong Circle Theater in 1959. In 1962, he made his film debut as Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird.
It was all uphill from there. One of the greatest actors of our time indeed. Duvall has been nominated for 128 awards across a span of five decades, 61 of which he won.
It would be impossible to recall every one of his accomplishments. We all know the names of the films and TV shows: from The Godfather to Apocalypse Now to Tender Mercies to Sling Blade to Lonesome Dove.
Ah, Lonesome Dove. I'll have to stop here and say that Robert Duvall is my favorite actor of all time, and this is the reason why. My mom actually introduced me to the miniseries, and that's where I fell in love. Augustus “Gus” McCrae was witty, brave, and loyal, but he was also flawed. More importantly, he was human. Then again, that's something Duvall brought to all of his characters — it never felt like he was acting. His roles felt lived in. They felt effortless.
Few people can play a recluse, a consigliere, a soldier, a country music singer, a cowboy, a preacher, and so on without turning at least some of those characters into caricatures. He brought dignity to all of them.
For what it's worth, losing some of my other personal favorites are Secondhand Lions, True Grit, and The Judge. I know I'm forgetting others.
Losing Duvall isn't just losing an actor or a Hollywood icon. It feels like a sacred part of our American culture is disappearing.
He wasn't flashy, nor was he virtue-signaling nonstop like many of today's actors. I once heard someone say, "He did not need to shout to be heard."
That said, he wasn't quiet about the things he believed in. He considered himself conservative or libertarian politically and supported presidential candidates, ranging from George W. Bush to John McCain. He also did a lot to support women and children in need in Latin America, particularly in Argentina.
As a matter of fact, that's where he met Luciana in 2010. She says her friends encouraged her to invite him to a party they were having, so she gave him her card. It was a chance meeting. She said she had no idea who he was. In an interview, Duvall once said, "I met my wife in Argentina. The flower shop was closed, so I went to the bakery. If the flower shop had been open, I never would’ve met her."
Even before meeting his wife, Duvall spent a lot of time in the country and actually became an accomplished tango dancer.
Luciana, his fourth wife, survives him. He had no children.
Duvall played his last role in 2022, Jean-Pepe in The Pale Blue Eye. His last public appearance was in November, when he took to social media to wish all his friends a "Happy Thanksgiving" and a great year ahead.
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