Oscar-winning actor Robert Duvall dies at 95 following seven-decade career

Robert Duvall, the Oscar-winning actor whose career spanned seven decades and produced some of American cinema’s most enduring performances, has died at the age of 95.

The news was confirmed by his wife, Luciana Duvall, in a statement shared on Facebook. “Yesterday we said goodbye to my beloved husband, cherished friend, and one of the greatest actors of our time. Bob passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by love and comfort,” she wrote.

Paying tribute to the actor, she described him as her “everything”. “To the world, he was an Academy Award-winning actor, a director, a storyteller. To me, he was simply everything,” she said, adding that his dedication to 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,” she wrote, thanking supporters for their “time and privacy to celebrate the memories he leaves behind”.

Tributes poured in across social media shortly after the announcement. Actor Jamie Lee Curtis remembered him as the “greatest consigliere”, a nod to his portrayal of Tom Hagen in The Godfather.

Born in San Diego, California, in 1931, Duvall began his career in New York theatre before making his film debut in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). He won an Obie Award in 1965 for his Off-Broadway performance in A View from the Bridge and made his Broadway debut the following year in Wait Until Dark.

His breakthrough in cinema came with a string of acclaimed roles during the late 1960s and 1970s. In 1972, he starred as Tom Hagen in The Godfather, earning his first Academy Award nomination, and reprised the role in the 1974 sequel. He received further Oscar nominations for Apocalypse Now (1979) and The Great Santini (1980).

Duvall won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1983 for his performance in Tender Mercies, directed by Bruce Beresford. Reflecting on the honour before the ceremony, he said: “I guess the main reason I want the Academy Award is for the artistic power and freedom it gives you. The right to choose your own director, to have control over the project.”

Over the years, his film credits included Network, Days of Thunder, Sling Blade, The Scarlet Letter, Deep Impact, Thank You for Smoking and Jack Reacher. He earned further Academy Award nominations for his direction and performance in The Apostle (1997) and for his supporting role in The Judge (2014), bringing his total Oscar nominations to seven.

Beyond film, Duvall also built a strong presence on television, receiving five Emmy nominations for roles in productions such as Lonesome Dove and Broken Trail.

One of his final screen appearances came in 2022 with The Pale Blue Eye, directed by Scott Cooper.

Widely regarded as one of the finest character actors of his generation, Duvall leaves behind a body of work that shaped modern American cinema and influenced generations of performers.