Biography
This page uses content from the Robert Duvall biography page on the English version of Wikipedia and is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. This list of authors can be seen in the page history. Rotten Tomatoes disclaims any and all warranties as to the accuracy or reliability of the content.
Robert Selden Duvall (born January 5, 1931) is an Academy Award-winning American film actor and director.
Biography
Early life
Duvall was born in San Diego, California. His father, William Howard Duvall, was a retired U.S. Navy admiral with French Huguenot roots; his mother was an amateur actress and a descendant of American Civil War General Robert E. Lee. His father was a Methodist and his mother was a Christian Scientist; he was raised in the Christian Science religion, which he claims to follow today despite many years living a decidedly un-Christian lifestyle (as he states in a 2006 article in Vanity Fair).
Duvall grew up in a military family, living for a time in Annapolis, Maryland near the United States Naval Academy. He served in the United States Army (service number 52 346 646) from 19 August 1953 to 20 August 1954, achieving the rank of Private First Class and receiving the National Defense Service Medal.
Duvall studied acting at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre in New York under Sanford Meisner. While struggling as an actor, he worked at a Manhattan post office as a clerk but quit after six months.
Film career
His screen debut was as Boo Radley in the critically acclaimed To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). Duvall later played the notorious malefactor Ned Pepper in True Grit (1969), but his breakout role was a decade later as Tom Hagen in The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974). He received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in A Civil Action and for his role as Lt. Colonel Kilgore in Apocalypse Now (1979). His line "I love the smell of napalm in the morning" from Apocalypse Now is now regarded as iconic in cinema history. the full text is as follows:
- "You smell that? Do you smell that? Napalm, son. Nothing else in the world smells like that. I love the smell of napalm in the morning. You know, one time we had a hill bombed, for twelve hours. When it was all over I walked up. We didn't find one of 'em, not one stinkin' chink body. The smell, you know that gasoline smell, the whole hill. Smelled like... victory."
He directed the critically acclaimed The Apostle, about a preacher on the run from the law, and Assassination Tango (2002), a thriller about one of his favorite hobbies, tango. He was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2005. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on September 18, 2003.
Duvall portrayed General Robert E. Lee in Gods and Generals in 2003 and is actually a relative of the historical figure.
Academy Awards
Wins:
- 1983 - Best Actor in Tender Mercies
Nominations:
- 1972 - Best Supporting Actor in The Godfather
- 1979 - Best Supporting Actor in Apocalypse Now
- 1980 - Best Actor in The Great Santini
- 1997 - Best Actor in The Apostle
- 1998 - Best Supporting Actor in A Civil Action
Personal life
Duvall is close friends with Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman, both of whom he has known since their struggling actor days.
Duvall has been married four times:
- Barbara Benjamin (1964 - 1975)
- Gail Youngs (1982 - 1986)
- Sharon Brophy (1991 - 1996)
- Luciana Pedraza (2005 - present)
He met Pedraza on a street in Buenos Aires. They were both born on January 5, but Duvall is 40 years older. They have been together since 1997.
Duvall speaks fluent Spanish and maintains a home in Virginia. He has the same birthday as Godfather co-star Diane Keaton. His favorite city is Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is an avid Tango dancer and soccer fan.
Duvall is a staunch Republican and was personally invited to George W. Bush's inauguration in 2001. He attended the event.
Partial filmography
- A Night in Old Mexico (2006) (in production)
- The Berkeley Connection (2006) (announced)
- Bee Movie (2007) (filming) (voice)
- Lucky You (2007) (post-production) .... Mr. Cheever
- Broken Trail (2006) .... Prentice "Print" Ritter
- Thank You for Smoking (2006) .... Doak "The Captain" Boykin
- The Godfather: The Game (2005) (VG) (voice) .... Tom Hagen
- Kicking & Screaming (2005) .... Buck Weston
- Open Range (2003) .... Boss Spearman
- Secondhand Lions (2003) .... Hub
- Gods and Generals (2003) .... Gen. Robert E. Lee
- Assassination Tango (2002) .... John J. Anderson
- John Q (2002) .... Lt. Frank Grimes
- A Shot at Glory (2000) .... Gordon McLeod
- The 6th Day (2000) .... Dr. Griffin Weir
- Gone in 60 Seconds (2000) .... Otto Halliwell
- Deep Impact (1998) .... Capt. Spurgeon 'Fish' Tanner
- The Gingerbread Man (1998) .... Dixon Doss
- The Apostle (1997) .... Euliss 'Sonny' Dewey - The Apostle E.F.
- Phenomenon (1996) .... Doc Brunder
- A Family Thing (1996) .... Earl Pilcher Jr.
- The Man Who Captured Eichmann (1996) .... Adolf Eichmann
- The Scarlet Letter (1995) .... Roger Chillingworth
- The Stars Fell on Henrietta (1995) .... Mr. Cox
- Sling Blade (1994)... Carl's father
- Geronimo: An American Legend (1993) ... Al Sieber
- Wrestling Ernest Hemingway (1993)
- Falling Down (1993) .... Prendergast
- "Newsies" (1992) .... Joseph Pulitzer
- Stalin (1992) (TV) .... Josef Stalin
- The Handmaid's Tale (1990) .... The Commander
- Days of Thunder (1990) .... Harry Hogge
- Lonesome Dove (1989) (TV) .... Augustus McCrae
- Colors (1988) ... Officer Bob Hodges
- The lightship (1986) ....Calvin Caspary
- The Natural (1984) .... Max Mercy
- Tender Mercies (1983) .... Max Sledge
- True Confessions....Thomas Spellacy
- The Great Santini (1979)....Bull Meechum
- Apocalypse Now (1979) .... Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore
- The Eagle Has Landed (1976) .... Oberst Max Radl
- Breakout (1975)
- The Godfather: Part II (1974) .... Tom Hagen
- The Conversation (1974) (uncredited) .... The Director
- The Outfit (1973) .... Earl Macklin
- Joe Kidd (1972) .... Frank Harlan
- Tomorrow (1972) .... Jackson Fentry
- The Godfather (1972) .... Tom Hagen
- Lawman (1971) .... Vernon Adams
- THX 1138 (1971) .... THX 1138
- The Revolutionary (1970) .... Despard
- M*A*S*H (1970) .... Frank Burns
- The Rain People (1969) .... Gordon
- True Grit (1969) .... Ned Pepper
- Bullitt (1968) .... Weissberg
- Countdown (1968) .... Chiz
- The Detective (1968) .... Nestor
- The Chase (1966) .... Edwin Stewart
- Captain Newman, M.D. (1963) .... Capt. Paul Cabot Winston
- The Twilight Zone, episode #110 "Miniature" (1963) .... Charley Parkes
- To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) .... Arthur 'Boo' Radley
External links
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