Robert Duvall Biography

Arriving in New York after two years of military service in Korea, Robert Duvall trained with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse before acting in stock theater and off-Broadway productions. He made his film debut as the eccentric Boo Radley in the Oscar-winning To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) starring Gregory Peck, and he went on to establish himself as a distinctive and versatile character actor who is perhaps best remembered for his memorable performance as the surf-mad Colonel in Apocalypse Now who utters the line: "I love the smell of Napalm in the morning."

One of the most sought after actors in Hollywood during his lifetime, Duvall was nominated for Academy Awards for his performances in The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, The Great Santini, The Apostle and A Civil Action. He won a Best Actor Oscar for his work in Tender Mercies and a Best Actor Prize at Venice for True Confessions. "I've mellowed some," he said at the time, "but I haven't slowed down. I got a lot I wanna do." He received his seventh Academy Award nomination for his starring role in The Judge (2014). A few years later, he joined a strong female cast led by Viola Davis and Michelle Rodriguez in the thriller Widows (2018). His final role was in The Pale Blue Eye (2022) starring Christian Bale.

Divorced three times, Robert married his fourth wife, Luciana Pedraza — 42 years his junior — in 2004. He died on February 15, 2026 at the age of 95.

Filmography:

The Pale Blue Eye (2022)
Hustle (2022)
12 Mighty Orphans (2021)
Widows (2018)
In Dubious Battle (2026)
Wild Horses (2015)
The Judge (2014)
Casting By (2013)
The Godfather - Most Wanted Mondays (2012)
Jack Reacher (2012)
Jayne Mansfield's Car(2012)
The Last Full Measure (2010)
Crazy Heart (2010)
Get Low (2010)
The Road (2009)
Four Christmases (2008)
We Own the Night (2007)
Lucky You (2007)
Thank You For Smoking (2006)
Kicking & Screaming (2005)
Secondhand Lions (2003)
Open Range (2003)
Assassination Tango (2002)
Gods and Generals (2002)
John Q (2002)
The 6th Day (2000)
A Shot at Glory (2000)
Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000)
A Civil Action (1998)
Deep Impact (1998)
The Apostle (1997)
A Family Thing (1996)
The Man Who Captured Eichmann (1996)
Phenomenon (1996)
Sling Blade (1996)
The Scarlett Letter (1995)
Something to Talk About (1995)
The Paper (1994)
The Stars Fell on Henrietta (1994)
Falling Down (1993)
Geronimo: An American Legend (1993)
Wrestling Ernest Hemingway (1993)
Newsies (1992)
The Plague (1992)
Stalin (1992)
Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (1991)
Rambling Rose (1991)
Days of Thunder (1990)
The Handmaid's Tale (1990)
A Show of Force (1990)
Lonesome Dove (1989)
Colors (1988)
Hotel Colonial (1988)
Let's Get Harry (1987)
Belizaire the Cajun (1986)
The Lightship (1986)
The Natural (1984)
The Stone Boy (1984)
Tender Mercies (1983)
The Terry Fox Story (1983)
The Godfather 1902-1959: The Complete Epic (1981)
The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper (1981)
True Confessions (1981)
The Great Santini (1980)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Ike (1979)
The Betsy (1978)
The Eagle Has Landed (1977)
The Greatest (1977)
Network (1976)
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976)
Breakout (1975)
The Killer Elite (1975)
The Conversation (1974)
The Godfather, Part 2 (1974)
Badge 373 (1973)
Lady Ice (1973)
The Godfather (1972)
The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid (1972)
Joes Kidd (1972)
Tomorrow (1972)
Lawman (1971)
THX 1138 (1971)
M*A*S*H (1970)
The Rain People (1969)
True Grit (1969)
Bullit (1968)
Countdown (1968)
The Detective (1968)
The Chase (1966)
Captain Newman, M.D. (1963)
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)