Robert Duvall, the commanding actor who embodied the stoic Mafia consigliere Tom Hagen in “The Godfather” and delivered the iconic line “I love the smell of napalm in the morning” as a surf-loving Army colonel in “Apocalypse Now,” died peacefully at his home in Middleburg, Virginia on Sunday, February 15. He was 95.
His wife Luciana Duvall announced his death in a statement on Monday. “To the world, he was an Academy Award-winning actor, a director, a storyteller. To me, he was simply everything,” she wrote.
Over a Hollywood career spanning seven decades, Duvall built a reputation as an actor’s actor, equally comfortable in leading roles and supporting parts. He earned seven Academy Award nominations and took home the best actor Oscar in 1984 for his portrayal of washed-up country singer Mac Sledge in “Tender Mercies.”
Robert Selden Duvall was born on Jan. 5, 1931, in San Diego, the son of Mildred Hart, an amateur actress, and William Duvall, a U.S. Navy rear admiral. His military upbringing took him to Navy bases across the country, and he spent much of his childhood in Annapolis, Maryland, near the U.S. Naval Academy. After graduating from Principia College in Elsah, Illinois, in 1953, he served in the U.S. Army from August 1953 to August 1954, stationed at Camp Gordon in Georgia.
When Duvall returned stateside, he used his G.I. Bill benefits to pursue acting at New York’s Neighborhood Playhouse, studying under the legendary instructor Sanford Meisner. His classmates included future stars Gene Hackman and James Caan, and he roomed with Dustin Hoffman while they were struggling actors. They shared apartments and took odd jobs—sorting mail, clerking at Macy’s, driving trucks—while chasing their dreams on Broadway and off-Broadway stages.
Duvall’s film career began at age 31 with an unforgettable turn as the reclusive Arthur “Boo” Radley in the 1962 adaptation of Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird.” The small but crucial role showcased his ability to convey depth with minimal dialogue—he had no spoken lines in the film—a skill that would become his trademark.
The 1970s established Duvall as a central figure in the New Hollywood movement. He played the comically self-righteous Maj. Frank Burns in Robert Altman’s anti-war satire “M*A*S*H” in 1970, then embodied the title character in George Lucas’ dystopian debut “THX 1138” in 1971.
But it was Francis Ford Coppola’s “The Godfather” in 1972 that cemented Duvall’s place in cinema history. His performance as the calmly calculating Corleone family attorney Tom Hagen earned him his first Oscar nomination and made him a household name. He reprised the role in “The Godfather Part II” in 1974, though a salary dispute prevented him from appearing in the third installment in 1990. “If they paid Pacino twice what they paid me, that’s fine, but not three or four times, which is what they did,” he told “60 Minutes” in 2004.
In 1979, Duvall delivered two career-defining performances. As Lt. Col. Bull Meechum in “The Great Santini,” he played a blustery, militaristic father—earning his first best actor Oscar nomination at the 1981 ceremony. That same year, he portrayed the bellicose, larger-than-life Lt. Col. Kilgore in “Apocalypse Now,” uttering one of cinema’s most quoted lines about the smell of napalm.
In 1984, his quiet, detailed performance in “Tender Mercies,” written by Horton Foote and directed by Bruce Beresford, brought him the Oscar for best actor. The understated drama allowed Duvall to showcase his talent for emotionally complex performances, and he did his own singing in the film.
He continued working steadily through the decades, playing a sportswriter in “The Natural” in 1984, an LAPD veteran in “Colors” in 1988, and former Texas Ranger Augustus “Gus” McCrae in the acclaimed “Lonesome Dove” miniseries in 1989—a role he often cited as his favorite. He also proved himself as a director, writing, directing, and starring in “The Apostle” in 1997, which earned him another Oscar nomination.
His later work included starring as a corrupt Chicago power broker in Steve McQueen’s “Widows” in 2018 and appearances in “12 Mighty Orphans” in 2021 and Adam Sandler’s “Hustle” in 2022. His final Oscar nomination came in 2015 for “The Judge,” making him, at 84, one of the oldest actors ever nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
The family requested no formal service. Instead, they encouraged fans to honor Duvall’s memory by watching a great film, telling stories with friends, or taking a drive through the countryside.
Duvall is survived by his wife Luciana, whom he married in 2005. Over his remarkable career, he worked alongside icons including Marlon Brando, John Wayne, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and Robert Redford, leaving an indelible mark on American cinema that few actors can match.
