Robert Duvall, one of the most respected actors in American film history, has died. He was 95.
The legendary actor passed away February 15 at home, surrounded by family. His wife, Luciana, confirmed the news in a statement released Sunday.
Over a career that stretched more than seven decades, Duvall built a reputation for playing complex, memorable characters in some of the most celebrated movies ever made. Many fans know him as Tom Hagen in The Godfather, the calm and calculating consigliere to the Corleone family. Others remember his unforgettable turn as Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore in Apocalypse Now, delivering one of cinema’s most quoted performances.
In 1983, he earned the Academy Award for Best Actor for Tender Mercies, playing a washed-up country singer trying to rebuild his life. The role became a touchstone not just for film fans, but for country music audiences as well.
Duvall’s resume includes dozens of other credits across film and television, and he remained active in the industry well into his later years. Fellow actors, directors and fans frequently pointed to his quiet intensity and total commitment to a role as the qualities that made him one of the greats.
He also played Gus McCrae in the legendary miniseries Lonesome Dove, a performance that earned him a Golden Globe and introduced him to an entirely new generation of Western fans.
Robert Duvall leaves behind an enormous legacy, a catalog of performances that will be watched for decades to come, and a standard of excellence few actors ever reach.
Thank you for the stories, the grit, and the grace. Rest easy, Bob.
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