Robert Duvall

Robert Duvall. Robert Selden Duvall is an American actor and filmmaker whose career spans over six decades, renowned for his intense characterizations and remarkable versatility. He is considered one of the greatest actors of his generation, having portrayed a vast array of iconic roles across film and television. Duvall has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, four Golden Globe Awards, a BAFTA Award, and an Emmy Award.

Early life and education

Robert Duvall was born in San Diego, California, to Mildred Virginia and William Howard Duvall. His father was a United States Navy admiral, and the family moved frequently during his youth, including a period in Annapolis, Maryland. He attended Severn School in Maryland before studying drama at Principia College in Illinois. After graduating, he served in the United States Army before pursuing acting in New York City, where he studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre under the famed teacher Sanford Meisner.

Career

Duvall began his career on the New York stage, appearing in an off-Broadway production of *American Buffalo* and making his Broadway debut in *The Days and Nights of Beebee Fenstermaker*. His breakthrough film role came as the reclusive Boo Radley in the 1962 adaptation of *To Kill a Mockingbird*. He gained wider recognition for his work with director Francis Ford Coppola, delivering memorable performances as Tom Hagen in *The Godfather* and its sequel The Godfather Part II, and as the obsessive Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore in Apocalypse Now. His portrayal of a worn-out Country music singer in *Tender Mercies* earned him the Academy Award for Best Actor. Other significant roles include a charismatic Texas Ranger in the television miniseries *Lonesome Dove*, for which he won an Emmy Award, a brutal bootlegger in *The Apostle*, which he also wrote and directed, and a supporting role in the John Grisham adaptation *The Judge*. He has frequently collaborated with directors like George Lucas in THX 1138 and Robert Altman in *M*A*S*H*.

Personal life

Duvall has been married four times; his current wife is Barbara Benjamin, an Argentine actress. He is a noted equestrian and owns a ranch in Virginia, where he breeds Peruvian Paso horses. A private individual, he has often spoken about his spiritual beliefs, which incorporate elements of Christianity and other philosophies. He is also a partner in a Cattle ranch in Montana and maintains a residence in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Filmography

A selective list of his notable film and television works includes *To Kill a Mockingbird* (1962), Bullitt (1968), *M*A*S*H* (1970), *The Godfather* (1972), The Godfather Part II (1974), The Conversation (1974), *Network* (1976), Apocalypse Now (1979), *The Great Santini* (1979), *Tender Mercies* (1983), *Colors* (1988), Days of Thunder (1990), *The Apostle* (1997), *A Civil Action* (1998), *Gone in 60 Seconds* (2000), Open Range (2003), Secondhand Lions (2003), *Thank You for Smoking* (2005), *We Own the Night* (2007), *Get Low* (2009), and *The Judge* (2014). His television work features prominently in the miniseries *Lonesome Dove* (1989) and Broken Trail (2006).

Awards and nominations

Duvall has received an Academy Award for Best Actor for *Tender Mercies* and nominations for Best Supporting Actor for *The Godfather*, Apocalypse Now, and *A Civil Action*, and another Best Actor nomination for *The Apostle*. He has won four Golden Globe Awards, including for *Tender Mercies* and *Lonesome Dove*. He earned a BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for *The Apostle*. For his television work, he has won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for *Lonesome Dove*. Other honors include the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Category:American film actors Category:Best Actor Academy Award winners