Robert Duvall

American actor and director

Photo by: Bernard Gotfryd · Public Domain · Wikimedia Commons

Born:January 5, 1931

Died:February 15, 2026

Age at death:95

Zodiac Sign:Capricorn

Born in:San Diego, United States

Languages:English

Film Producer Television Actor Film Actor Soldier Film Director Writer Character Actor Film Screenwriter Director Actor Stage Actor Screenwriter

Links

Wikipedia IMDb Instagram

Famous For

Movies & TV

The GodfatherThe Godfather Part IIApocalypse NowTo Kill a MockingbirdThe Conversation

Awards

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie (2007)Donostia Award (2003)Academy Award for Best Actor (1984)Golden Globes (1980)BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role (1980)

Robert Duvall

American actor and director

Biography

Robert Selden Duvall (; January 5, 1931 – February 15, 2026) was an American actor and filmmaker, best known for his roles in films of the later 20th century. Duvall began acting professionally on stage in 1952, performing in summer plays at the Gateway Playhouse in Bellport on Long Island until 1959, with a one-year break while serving in the U.S. Army. In his early theater career, he made contacts that then led to a career on television in the 1960s on shows such as The Defenders, Playhouse 90, and Armstrong Circle Theatre. He made his Broadway debut in the play Wait Until Dark in 1966, and, in 1977, he returned from screen acting to the stage in David Mamet's play American Buffalo, earning a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play nomination. Duvall made his feature film acting debut in a brief but memorable turn as Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). His other early roles included Bullitt (1968), True Grit (1969), M*A*S*H (1970), THX 1138 (1971), and Tomorrow (1972), the last of which was developed at the Actors Studio and was his personal favorite. Duvall won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance as an alcoholic former country music star in Tender Mercies (1983). His other Oscar-nominated roles included The Godfather (1972), Apocalypse Now (1979), The Great Santini (1979), The Apostle (1997), A Civil Action (1998), and The Judge (2014). Throughout his career, Duvall also starred in numerous television productions. He won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series for the AMC limited series Broken Trail (2006). His other Emmy-nominated roles included the CBS miniseries Lonesome Dove (1989), the HBO film Stalin (1992), and the TNT film The Man Who Captured Eichmann (1996). With a career spanning seven decades, Duvall received an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, four Golden Globe Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He was critically acclaimed for his technical proficiency and chameleon-like ability to assume a convincing role. Vincent Canby dubbed him "the American Olivier" in 1980 and this label stuck.

This biography uses content from the Wikipedia article “Robert Duvall”, available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License.

Quotes

“It was as if somehow Al Capone had become head of the United States.”

— On the rise to power of Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union, as quoted in "That Other Stalin In The Film, Duvall Becomes The Evil Ruler Incarnate", by Lee Winfrey, in philly.com (19 November 1992)

“The Western is our genre in the United States of America. The English have Shakespeare, the French have Molière, the Russians have Chekhov, but we have the Western.”

— "Robert Duvall reflects on The Godfather in final USA TODAY interview" by Patrick Ryan, in USA Today (16 February 2026)

“Sometimes what comes around the corner is better for you than what you're planning to do anyway.”

— "Robert Duvall reflects on The Godfather in final USA TODAY interview" by Patrick Ryan, in USA Today (16 February 2026)

Quotes sourced from the Wikiquote article "Robert Duvall", available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License.

Photos

Title: Robert Duvall [actor, at home, New York City apartment, 1984] Creator(s): Gotfryd, Bernard, photographer Date Created/Published: March 1984. Medium: 1 photograph : color transparency ; 35mm (slide format) Reproduction Number: LC-DIG-gtfy-01084 (digital file from original) Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on publication. For information see "Bernard Gotfryd," (https://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/res.592.gotf) Access Advisory: Please use digital image: original slide is kept in cold storage for preservation. Call Number: LC-GB05- 1084 [P&P] Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA Notes: Title based on information from slide mount or other caption information provided by the photographer. Photo agency: Newsweek; NW/FILE. Date on slide mount: 3/84. On mount: 266D. Gift; Bernard Gotfryd; 2004; (DLC/PP-2004:032). Subjects: United States--New York (State)--New York. Actors Personalities Format: Slides--Color--1980-1990. Part of: Bernard Gotfryd photograph collection (Library of Congress) Bookmark This Record: https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2020730625/

At the premiere of "The Road", directed by John Hillcoat, and based on the novel by Cormac McCarthy, during the Toronto International Film Festival, 2009.

Robert Duvall at Tribeca Film Festival 2010

Robert Duvall

Stella di Robert Duvall sulla Hollywood Walk of Fame - Agosto 2011.

Robert Duvall en San Sebastián.

Robert Duvall

Naval Air Station (NAS) Sigonella, Sicily (Jun. 14, 2003) -- Actor/Writer/Director Robert Duvall autographs the cast for the son of a member of the "The Black Stallions" of Helicopter Combat Support Squadron Four (HC-4) in the squadron’s hangar bay. Mr. Duvall and Actress Luciana Pedraza stopped by NAS Sigonella to meet with Sailors and family members after appearing at the Taormina Film Festitval in Sicily, where their film "Assassination Tango" was playing. The pair ate at the base galley, visited HC-4 and the "Tigers" of Patrol Squadron Eight (VP-8), and signed autographs in the base commissary. NAS Sigonella provides logistical support for Commander, U.S. Sixth Fleet and NATO forces in the Mediterranean Sea. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate Airman Shannon R. Smith. (RELEASED)