Robert Duvall, All-Purpose Actor With Few Peers, Dies at 95
Source: Hollywood Reporter
February 16, 2026 10:05am
Robert Duvall, the steely-eyed actor whose performances in the first two Godfather films, Apocalypse Now, The Great Santini, Lonesome Dove and The Apostle made him one of the finest actors of any generation, has died. He was 95.
Duvall, who received an Academy Award — one of his seven Oscar nominations — for his performance as an alcoholic country singer in Tender Mercies (1983), died Sunday at home on his Virginia ranch, his wife, Luciana, announced.
“To the world, he was an Academy Award-winning actor, a director, a storyteller. To me, he was simply everything,” she said in a statement. “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.”
Duvall distinguished himself as an actor of major promise — even though he didn’t have a line of dialogue — when he portrayed the reclusive Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). Horton Foote, the film’s screenwriter, personally recommended him for the role after seeing Duvall onstage in New York a few years earlier in Foote’s The Midnight Caller.
Read more: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/robert-duvall-dead-godfather-apocalypse-now-1236506861/
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but we did lose Diane Keaton this past fall.
I remember seeing the first "Godfather" back in '72 on the HUGE SCREEN (drive-in). I know people always reference the "horse's head" scene but I'll never forget what happened to James Caan and the slow-motion machine gun dispatching (and I was a fan of James Caan and was like - WAIT! NO! 
).
... I'm referring to James Caan's shooting scene. 
But Robert Duvall - the Consigliere - he was a revelation in the first Godfather. Even having read the book first, I thought Duvall played the part so much better on the screen than he was written in the book. The audience expects Marlon Brando to dominate, and he did. But Duvall handled it and played off him in every scene they were in together. They were brilliant and the main reason it was such a great movie. In my opinion Al Pacino did more of a star-turn in Godfather II.
Rest in Peace, Robert Duvall, and thanks for all the great movies!
RIP
RIP Mr Duvall.
Great story!
One of my great favorites, especially in the Westerns, Lonesome Dove, and Open Range. As one character said in OR--he sure could cowboy.
Not many like him anymore.
Yes Duvall had a smaller role in "Apocalypse Now" because the cast was so large. But even so, he's quite memorable.
Here's a good trivia question: "Apocalypse Now" came out in 1979. What other movie starring Duvall also came out the same year?
The Great Santini 1979
Again, 
'The Great Santini'
and he was a Private First Class.............
RIP, sports fan
Duvall was so versatile and he played that role as Marine Lt. Col. “Bull” Meechum to the hilt.
