Robert Duvall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Duvall
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Duvall in 2007
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| Born |
Robert Selden Duvall
January 5, 1931 San Diego, California, U.S.
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| Education | Principia College (BA) Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1952–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) |
Barbara Benjamin Marcus
(m. 1964; div. 1981)Gail Youngs
(m. 1982; div. 1986)Sharon Brophy
(m. 1991; div. 1995)Luciana Pedraza
(m. 2005) |
| Military Service | |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ |
.svg){kind=small} United States Army |
| Years of service | 1953-54 |
| Rank |  Private first class |
| Awards |  National Defense Service Medal |
| Awards | Full list |
Robert Selden Duvall (born January 5, 1931) is a famous American actor. He has been acting for over seventy years. Many people think he is one of the greatest actors of all time.
Duvall has won many important awards. These include an Academy Award, four Golden Globe Awards, a BAFTA Award, and two Primetime Emmy Awards. He also has a Screen Actors Guild Award.
He started his career on TV in the 1960s with small roles. He appeared in shows like The Defenders. His first movie role was as Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). He also appeared in M*A*S*H (1970) and The Godfather (1972).
Robert Duvall won an Oscar for Best Actor for his role in Tender Mercies (1983). He has also been nominated for Oscars for movies like Apocalypse Now (1979) and The Judge (2014). He has also starred in many TV shows. He won Emmys for his work in Broken Trail (2007).
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Robert Duvall's Early Life and Education
Robert Duvall was born on January 5, 1931, in San Diego, California. His mother, Mildred Virginia Duvall, was an amateur actress. His father, William Howard Duvall, was a Navy Rear Admiral. Robert was the second of three sons.
His mother was related to American Civil War General Robert E. Lee. His father was a descendant of an early settler named Mareen Duvall. Robert grew up mostly in Annapolis, Maryland. He said he was a "Navy brat" because his father was in the Navy.
Duvall went to Principia College in Illinois. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in drama in 1953. His father wanted him to join the Naval Academy. But Robert said he was only good at acting.
He served in the United States Army after the Korean War. This was from 1953 to 1954. He left the Army as a private first class. While in the Army, he acted in a play called Room Service.
In 1955, Duvall went to the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York City. He studied acting there for two years. His classmates included future stars like Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman. While studying, he worked as a clerk at a post office.
Robert Duvall's Acting Career
Starting His Acting Journey: 1952–1969
Theater Performances
Duvall began his acting career in summer theater in Bellport, New York. His first stage role was in 1952. He played the Pilot in Laughter In The Stars. After serving in the Army, he returned to the theater in 1955. He performed in plays like Picnic and The Crucible.
He also played the Witchboy in Dark of the Moon. He had played this role before. In 1957, he played Eddie Carbone in A View from the Bridge. This role was very important for his career. The play's writer, Arthur Miller, saw him perform. This helped Duvall get a role in the Naked City TV series.
Duvall also performed at other theaters. He made his first off-Broadway appearance in 1958. This was in Mrs. Warren's Profession. He won an Obie Award in 1965 for playing Eddie Carbone again. This time it was in A View From the Bridge off-Broadway.
His Broadway debut was in 1966. He played Harry Roat, Jr. in Wait Until Dark. Later, in 1977, he appeared on Broadway again. He was Walter Cole in David Mamet's American Buffalo.
Television Roles
In 1959, Duvall first appeared on television. It was in an episode of Armstrong Circle Theater. Throughout the 1960s, he was a frequent guest star. He often appeared in action or crime dramas.
He was in shows like Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Twilight Zone, and The Fugitive. These roles helped him gain experience.
Film Appearances
Duvall's first movie role was in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). He played Boo Radley. The movie was highly praised. The screenwriter, Horton Foote, suggested Duvall for the part. Foote thought Duvall was great at showing real people.
After this, Duvall appeared in several films in the 1960s. He often had supporting roles. Some notable movies include Captain Newman, M.D. (1963) and Bullitt (1968). He also played "Lucky" Ned Pepper in True Grit (1969). In that film, he had a big shootout scene with John Wayne.
Becoming a Star: 1970–1989
In the 1970s, Duvall became a very important actor in American movies. He gained a lot of attention in 1970. He played Major Frank Burns in the movie MASH. He also played the main character in THX 1138 (1971). In that film, he tries to escape a robot-controlled world.
His first big success with critics came from playing Tom Hagen in The Godfather (1972). This role earned him an Academy Award nomination. He played the same role in The Godfather Part II (1974). By the mid-1970s, he was a top "character actor." This means he was great at playing many different kinds of people.
Duvall received another Oscar nomination for his role in Apocalypse Now (1979). He won a BAFTA Award and a Golden Globe for it. His line "I love the smell of napalm in the morning" from that movie is very famous. He also got an Oscar nomination for The Great Santini (1979). In that movie, he played a tough Marine officer.
Francis Ford Coppola, a famous director, called Duvall "one of the four or five best actors in the world." Duvall wanted to be the main star in more movies. So, in 1977, he went back to Broadway. He hoped this would lead to bigger film roles.
Duvall continued acting in movies in the 1980s. He played a sportswriter in The Natural (1984). He also played a police officer in Colors (1988). He won an Oscar for Best Actor for playing country singer Mac Sledge in Tender Mercies (1983). He sang all the songs himself in the movie.
In 1989, Duvall starred in the TV miniseries Lonesome Dove. He played Captain Augustus "Gus" McCrae. He has said this is his favorite role. He won a Golden Globe Award for it. For this role, he learned how to use old revolvers.
Continuing Success: 1990–Present
Duvall did not appear in The Godfather Part III (1990). He wanted to be paid as much as Al Pacino. But he was offered much less. In 1992, Duvall started his own film company. It was called Butcher's Run Films.
He has continued to have a busy film career. Sometimes he makes four movies in one year. He received Oscar nominations for his roles in The Apostle (1997) and A Civil Action (1998). He also wrote and directed The Apostle.
He also directed Assassination Tango (2002). This was a thriller about his love for tango dancing. In 2003, he played General Robert E. Lee in Gods and Generals.
Other roles from this time show his wide acting range. He played a crew chief in Days of Thunder (1990). He was a rural doctor in Phenomenon (1996). He also played an abusive father in Sling Blade (1996).
He continued to appear in movies like Gone in 60 Seconds (2000). He was a trail boss in Open Range (2003). He also played a man who throws his own funeral party in Get Low (2010).
Duvall has a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. He has also worked on TV since the 1990s. He won a Golden Globe for playing Joseph Stalin in the 1992 TV film Stalin. In 2006, he won an Emmy for his role in the miniseries Broken Trail.
In 2005, President George W. Bush gave Duvall a National Medal of Arts. In 2014, he starred in The Judge with Robert Downey Jr.. His acting in the movie was highly praised. He was nominated for an Oscar for this role. At 84, he was the oldest actor nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the time.
In 2018, he appeared in the thriller Widows. In 2022, he was in the Netflix movies Hustle and The Pale Blue Eye.
Robert Duvall's Personal Life
Family and Relationships
Robert Duvall has been married four times. He does not have any children. He met his first wife, Barbara Benjamin, while filming To Kill a Mockingbird. They were married from 1964 to 1975.
His second wife was Gail Youngs. They were married from 1982 to 1986. His third marriage was to Sharon Brophy, a dancer. They were married from 1991 to 1995.
In 2005, Duvall married his fourth wife, Luciana Pedraza. She is from Argentina. He met her in a bakery. They were both born on January 5th, but he is 41 years older than her. They have been together since 1997. He directed and acted with her in the movie Assassination Tango. Duvall is also a very skilled Argentine tango dancer. He has a tango studio in Argentina and the United States.
Duvall also trains in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He practices martial arts with his wife.
Political Views
Duvall's political views are often described as libertarian or conservative. He was invited to President George W. Bush's inauguration in 2001. In 2007, he supported Rudy Giuliani for president. He also supported John McCain in 2008 and Mitt Romney in 2012. However, in 2014, Duvall said he had become an independent.
Helping Others and Activism
In 2001, Luciana Pedraza and Robert Duvall started the Robert Duvall Children's Fund. This fund helps families in Northern Argentina. They work to improve homes, schools, and medical places.
Duvall and Pedraza also support Pro Mujer. This is a charity that helps women in Latin America. They focus on Pedraza's home area in Argentina.
In 2009, Duvall spoke out against Walmart building a store near a historic battlefield in Virginia. In 2011, he attended a charity event for the Texas Children's Cancer Center. In 2023, he spoke against an Amazon facility being built in Virginia.
Robert Duvall's Awards and Honors
Robert Duvall has won many awards for his acting. He won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Tender Mercies (1983). He has also received a British Academy Film Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, four Golden Globe Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has recognized his performances many times:
- 45th Academy Awards: Nominated for Best Supporting Actor for The Godfather (1972)
- 52nd Academy Awards: Nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Apocalypse Now (1979)
- 53rd Academy Awards: Nominated for Best Actor for The Great Santini (1981)
- 56th Academy Awards: Won Best Actor for Tender Mercies (1983)
- 70th Academy Awards: Nominated for Best Actor for The Apostle (1997)
- 71st Academy Awards: Nominated for Best Supporting Actor for A Civil Action (1998)
- 87th Academy Awards: Nominated for Best Supporting Actor for The Judge (2014)
See also
In Spanish: Robert Duvall para niños
