The Godfather star Robert Duvall – who won an Oscar for Tender Mercies – has died at the age of 95.
The Hollywood actor died “peacefully” at his home, according to a statement by his wife Luciana Duvall.
“Yesterday we said goodbye to my beloved husband, cherished friend, and one of the greatest actors of our time,” the statement, shared on his Facebook page said.
He 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 wife said.
“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.”
She thanked movie fans for the years of support they showed her husband and requested time and privacy to “celebrate the memories he leaves behind”.
The bald, wiry Duvall didn’t have leading man looks, but few “character actors” enjoyed such a long, rewarding and unpredictable career, in leading and supporting roles, from an itinerant preacher to Josef Stalin.
Duvall made his screen debut in 1963’s To Kill A Mockingbird, playing the mysterious Boo Radley, before starring in 1979’s The Great Santini, 1990’s The Handmaid’s Tale, and 2014’s The Judge alongside Robert Downey Jr.
The star earned his first Oscar nomination in the best supporting actor category for playing Mafia consigliere Tom Hagen in 1972’s The Godfather – a role which he reprised in The Godfather Part II.
He went on to score his second best supporting actor Oscar nomination in 1979 for his performance as Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore in 1979’s Apocalypse Now, which he made famous with the line: “I love the smell of napalm in the morning”.
Duvall’s best actor Oscar win came in 1984 for Tender Mercies, in which he played a country music star recovering from alcoholism.
He also won four Golden Globes, including one for playing the philosophical cattle-drive boss in the 1989 miniseries Lonesome Dove, a role he often cited as his favourite.
Robert Selden Duvall grew up in the Navy towns of Annapolis and the San Diego area, where he was born in 1931.
He spent time in other cities as his father, who rose to be an admiral, was assigned to various duties.
The boy’s experience helped in his adult profession as he learned the nuances of regional speech and observed the psyche of military men, which he would portray in several films.
Between his high-paying jobs in major productions, Duvall devoted himself to directing personal projects: a documentary about a prairie family, We’re Not the Jet Set; a film about gypsies, Angelo, My Love; and Assassination Tango, in which he also starred.
Duvall had been a tango dancer since seeing the musical Tango Argentina in the 1980s and visited Argentina dozens of times to study the dance and the culture.
The result was the 2003 release about a hit man with a passion for tango.
His co-star was Luciana Pedraza, 42 years his junior, whom he married in 2005.
Duvall’s three previous marriages — to Barbara Benjamin, Gail Youngs and Sharon Brophy — ended in divorce.
with AP
https://thewest.com.au/entertainment/the-godfather-star-robert-duvall-dies-age-95-c-21661587
