Actor Robert Duvall dies at 95
His career includes memorable roles in films such as 'Apocalypse Now' and 'The Godfather'
BarcelonaCalifornian actor Robert Duvall died Sunday at the age of 95 at his home in Middleburg, Virginia. according to US media reports and has been confirmed by his wife, Luciana Duvall. His career, which began with roles in films such as To kill a chanterelle (Robert Mulligan, 1962), has left behind iconic film characters such as the surfing soldier ofApocalypse Now (1979) and the Corleone lawyer in The Godfather (1972 and 1974), films directed by Francis Ford Coppola where he stood out for his versatility. It had nothing to do with the eccentric colonel who made it sound The Charge of the Valkyries before attacking the advisor with the most austere gestures on the mafia's payroll.
"Yesterday we said goodbye to my beloved husband, my dear friend, and one of the greatest actors of our time. Bob died at home, surrounded by love and comfort. To the world, he was an Oscar-winning actor, director, and storyteller. To me, he was everything," he was everything. "His passion for his craft was matched only by his deep love for characters, exquisite food, and his ability to win hearts. In each of his many roles, Bob gave his all for his characters and for the authentic human essence they represented," the widow continues.
A chameleon-like character actor, his career exploded, especially in the seventies, and from then on, Duvall became one of Hollywood's great performers, very often the ultimate supporting actor. In an interview in New York TimesThe actor praised the work of supporting actors and defended its most positive aspects. "Someone said that the best life in the world is that of the second lead. You travel, your expenses are paid, and you probably get a better role. And, besides, you don't have to carry the weight of the whole film," he asserted.
Duvall is part of American film history, and one of his lines of dialogue in Apocalypse Now —"I like the smell of napalm in the morning"—is considered one of the most iconic and frequently quoted lines in film, although he claimed that when he uttered it, he had no idea it would have such a lasting impact.
Duvall was born in San Diego on January 5, 1931, the son of an amateur actress and a U.S. Navy admiral who hoped his second child would follow in his footsteps and enter the U.S. Naval Academy. Duvall, who claimed he was bad at everything except acting, fell in love with acting while studying at Principia College, an arts college in southwest Illinois. After graduating, he enlisted in the army, where he served from 1953 to 1954. However, in 1955, he changed the course of his life and moved to New York, where he studied acting under Stanford Meisner. It was during this time that he met two of his best friends, Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman, classmates.
Duvall's acting career began in theater and later transitioned to television and film. Although the role of Tom Hagen in The Godfather It's one of the most memorable moments of his career; Duvall declined to participate in the third installment of the mafia trilogy due to a financial disagreement. In an interview on the program 60 minutes In 2004, the actor explained that he decided not to participate in the film due to the disparity between his salary and Al Pacino's. He argued that it wasn't that he wanted to earn the same as his co-star, but that the difference between their salaries was too great. Throughout his career, he was nominated for an Oscar seven times: three times for Best Actor and four times for Best Supporting Actor. He only won one golden statuette. He won the award for Best Actor for the film Thanks and favors (Bruce Beresford, 1983) in which he played a failed, alcoholic country singer.
Conservative ideas
In a Hollywood often associated with progressive ideas, Duvall surprised many with his conservative leanings. He was one of the guests at President George W. Bush Jr.'s inauguration in 2001 and also supported Rudolph Giuliani in the 2008 Republican primaries. Despite being a lifelong Republican, in 2014 he stated he was considering becoming an independent because he believed the Republican Party was a disaster at the time. Duvall married four times, most recently to Luciana Pedraza, an Argentine actress. The couple met in Buenos Aires, one of the actor's favorite cities, as he was passionate about Argentine culture and tango, a dance he practiced. According to them, in 1996, while walking down the street, Pedraza invited Duvall to a party without realizing who he was. They were 41 years apart in age and had been born on the same day. The actor had no children, although in several interviews he explained that he had tried unsuccessfully to have them.