Renowned Actor Robert Duvall Passes Away at 95, Confirms Wife

In a somber announcement, it has been confirmed that the iconic actor and filmmaker Robert Duvall has died at the age of 95. Duvall passed...
HomeUSHollywood Legend and Oscar Winner Robert Duvall Passes Away at 95

Hollywood Legend and Oscar Winner Robert Duvall Passes Away at 95

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The film industry mourns the loss of iconic actor Robert Duvall, who passed away at the age of 95. Known for his Oscar-winning performance in “Tender Mercies,” Duvall leaves behind a rich legacy in cinema.

His wife, Luciana Duvall, took to Facebook on Monday to announce that he had died peacefully at home on Sunday, surrounded by love and comfort.

“To the world, he was a celebrated actor, director, and storyteller. To me, he was my everything,” Luciana shared in her heartfelt post.

Duvall’s representative released a statement noting that, in accordance with his wishes, there will be no formal memorial service.

Instead, the family invites those who wish to remember him to do so by engaging in activities that celebrate life, such as enjoying a great movie, sharing stories with friends, or taking a scenic drive to admire the beauty of nature.

Robert Duvall’s career spanned seven decades with roles across film, television and theater. He was known for his roles in “The Godfather” and “Apocalypse Now”.

Robert Duvall poses for a portrait during an interview on Friday, June 5, 2015, in Los Angeles.
Robert Duvall poses for a portrait during an interview on Friday, June 5, 2015, in Los Angeles.(Photo by Casey Curry/Invision/AP)

Robert Duvall brought a signature naturalism to the roles he played, an unmannered style that infused his myriad characters with a calm intensity – a counterpoint to his self-confessed often hot-tempered on-set disposition – and earned him a reputation as one of his generation’s finest actors. Beginning with his memorable film debut as Boo Radley in 1962’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” in which he didn’t utter a word, Robert Duvall went on to appear in more than 90 films over the next seven decades, working with some of Hollywood’s most celebrated filmmakers and performers.

Duvall shared the screen as the outlaw Ned Pepper opposite John Wayne in 1969’s “True Grit,” originated the role of Maj. Frank Burns in Robert Altman’s 1970 dark comedy “M*A*S*H,” and starred in the title role in “Star Wars” creator George Lucas’ 1971 directorial debut, “THX 1138.” Duvall also played Corleone family consigliere Tom Hagen in Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather” and “The Godfather Part II” opposite his acting hero, Marlon Brando, and had a pivotal role the ruthless network VP Frank Hackett in the acclaimed 1976 media satire “Network.”

As the shirtless, cowboy hat-wearing Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore in Coppola’s 1979 Vietnam War epic “Apocalypse Now,” Duvall delivered the film’s most oft-quoted line: “I love the smell of napalm in the morning.” Four years later, Duvall won the Academy Award for Best Actor for playing Mac Sledge, a recovering alcoholic country music star attempting to make amends in “Tender Mercies.”

“Time teaches you a lot of things. It gets a little easier as you get older,” Duvall, then 72, told ABC News’ Charlie Gibson in 2003, reflecting in his craft. He went on to quote a line from his beloved “Lonesome Dove” character, Gus McCrae: “The older the violin, the sweeter the music. Maybe that applies somewhere.”

ABC News contributed to this story.

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