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0 The Godfather and Apocalypse Now star Robert Duvall has been hailed as “a giant” and “one of the greatest actors we ever had” following his death at the age of 95.
Tributes have been paid by Hollywood figures including The Godfather co-star Al Pacino, who said his “phenomenal gift will always be remembered”.
Adam Sandler posted photographs from their time shooting 2022 film Hustle, writing: “Funny as hell. Strong as hell. One of the greatest actors we ever had. Such a great man to talk to and laugh with.”
Viola Davis recalled filming Widows with Duvall. “I was in awe,” she said. “I’ve always been in awe of your towering portrayals of men who were both quiet and dominating in their humanness. You were a giant… an icon.”
The Oscar winner added: “Greatness never dies. It stays… as a gift. Rest well, sir. Your name will be spoken… May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”
The Godfather Part II star Robert De Niro said: “God bless Bobby. I hope I can live till I’m 95. May he rest in peace.”
In his tribute, Pacino wrote: “He was a born actor as they say, his connection with it, his understanding and his phenomenal gift will always be remembered. I will miss him.”
During his impressive six-decade career, Duvall was nominated for seven Oscars and played roles includingthe mafia consigliere in Francis Ford Coppola‘s The Godfather and The Godfather Part II, and a forceful army officer in Coppola’s Vietnam epic Apocalypse Now.
He only had a few minutes of screen time but his famous line in the 1979 classic, “I love the smell of napalm in the morning”, became legendary.
Coppola called his loss “a blow”.
“Such a great actor and such an essential part of American Zoetrope from its beginning,” the director said in a statement on Instagram, referring to his production company.
His Apocalypse Now character was originally meant to be even more over the top but Duvall toned it down and the name was changed from Captain Carnage to Lieutenant Colonel William Kilgore.
“I did my homework,” Duvall told veteran talk show host Larry King in 2015. “I did my research.”
Others paying tribute included Fallout actor Walton Goggins, who appeared in 1997’s The Apostle, which Duvall directed, wrote and starred in.
“The celestial light just lost its glow. It certainly did for me,” Goggins wrote. “Bobby Duvall, the greatest storyteller of all time just left us.
“He was my friend. My mentor… The privilege of getting to work with this man, to know this man is still the most important experience of my life. He was my North Star, my hero. He knew it.”
The pair “maintained a deep friendship for years after” making the film, he said.
“He didn’t have to do that. But he did. He had that effect on a lot of people… but this was my story. I love you, Bobby. Thank you for changing my life.”
Michael Keaton, who starred with Duvall in 1994 drama The Paper, said: “Another friend goes down. Acted with and became friends.
“Shared a great afternoon on my front porch talking about horses. He was greatness personified as an actor. RIP RD.”
Josh Gad posted: “Another day. Another iconic and irreplaceable loss. Duvall was simply one of the greatest to ever do it.
“From the Godfather films to Apocalypse Now, from The Apostle to To Kill a Mocking Bird, he wasn’t just in film, he defines it through the ages. RIP.”
Oscar winner Jamie Lee Curtis also posted a tribute on Instagram with a picture of Duvall as Tom Hagen in The Godfather.
“The greatest consigliere the screen has ever seen. Bravo, Robert Duvall.”
Duvall died “peacefully” at his home in Middleburg, Virginia, on Sunday, according to a statement sent by his PR agency on behalf of his wife, Luciana.
“To the world, he was an Academy Award-winning actor, a director, a storyteller. To me, he was simply everything,” she said. “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 won the Oscar for best actor in 1983 for playing a washed-up country singer in Tender Mercies.
His other roles included a bullying corporate executive in 1976’s Network, and a Marine officer in 1979’s The Great Santini, as well as parts in 1990’s The Handmaid’s Tale and 2014’s The Judge alongside Robert Downey Jr.
Duvall often said his favourite role was as the Texas Ranger-turned-cowboy Augustus McCrae in Lonesome Dove in the 1989 TV mini-series, based on the novel by Larry McMurtry.
He made his screen debut in the 1963 film adaptation of Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird, playing the reclusive Boo Radley.
“When he did To Kill A Mockingbird he just destroyed you with his performance of Boo Radley, he used not a single word of dialogue, not a single word, and he just shatters you,” US actor Alec Baldwin said in a short video tribute to Duvall.
The screenplay was written by Horton Foote, who also wrote several other films Duvall starred in, including Tender Mercies, Tomorrow and The Chase.
In 1997’s The Apostle, which he wrote and directed, Duvall played an evangelical preacher who begins a new life in Louisiana after committing a crime.
British actress Jane Seymour, who worked with Duvall on the 1995 film The Stars Fell on Henrietta, shared a heartfelt tribute on Instagram.
“We were able to share in his love of barbecue and even a little tango,” Seymour wrote alongside a photo of herself with Duvall. “Those moments off camera were just as memorable as the work itself.”
Robert Patrick, who played the son of Duvall’s character in 2013 film Jayne Mansfield’s Car, said he was “gutted”.
“Over the years I would call Bobby and we’d talk movies and barbecue. He loved barbecue and I’d always let him know when I was having it in Lockhart, Texas.”
“I will miss Bobby. I will always be proud that I got to play his son. Rest in peace my friend.”
