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| Birth Name(s) : Robert Selden Duvall |
Date of Birth: January 5, 1931 |
| Status:
Dating
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Partner:
Luciana Pedraza |
| Profession:
Actor |
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Full Robert Duvall Biography
Robert Duvall may have a commanding presence and intense looks, but his 30-year movie career has spanned a versatility of character and roles that may seem surprising at first glance.
His film debut was as Boo Radley in the classic "To Kill a Mockingbird" (1962). He has since gone on to appear in over 80 feature films and nearly 40 TV episodes. Other feature film titles include "The Godfather" (1972), "Colors" (1998) and "The 6th Day" (2000). |
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Additional Robert Duvall Biography
Robert Selden Duvall (born January 5, 1931) is an Academy Award-, two-time Emmy Award-, and four-time Golden Globe Award-winning American film actor and director. He is best known for his roles in The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, Apocalypse Now, THX 1138, Tender Mercies and The Apostle.
Duvall was born in San Diego, California, the son of Mildred Virginia (née Hart), an amateur actress and relative of American Civil War General Robert E. Lee, and William Howard Duvall, a Virginia-born U.S. Navy admiral. Duvall's father was a Methodist and his mother was a Christian Scientist, and Duvall was raised in the Christian Science religion. Duvall grew up in a military family, living for a time in Annapolis, Maryland near the United States Naval Academy. He attended Severn School in Severna Park, Maryland. In 1953 he graduated from Principia College in Elsah, Illinois. 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. Duvall is close friends with actors Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman whom he knew during their years as struggling actors. At one point, Duvall roomed with Hoffman while they were looking for work.
Duvall's screen debut was as Boo Radley in the critically acclaimed To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). Duvall later played the notorious malefactor Ned Pepperin True Grit (1969), and Major Frank Burns in the film version of MASH (1970), but his breakout role was that of 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). He won Oscar's Best Actor in Tender Mercies (1983). 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:Duvall (left) alongside Al Pacino in The Godfather (1972)
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' dink body. The smell, you know that gasoline smell, the whole hill. Smelled like... victory. (Pause) Some day this war is going to end....
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 is close friends with Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman, both of whom he has known since their struggling actor days. He 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, Argentina. They were both born on January 5, but Duvall is 41 years older. They have been together since 1997. Duvall speaks fluent Spanish and maintains a farm in The Plains in Fauquier County, Virginia. He has the same birthday as Godfather co-star Diane Keaton who was born in 1946. His favorite city is Buenos Aires. He is an avid Tango dancer and soccer fan.
Duvall's political views are variously described as libertarian or conservative. He was personally invited to Republican President George W. Bush's inauguration in 2001. On Wednesday, September 5, 2007, Duvall announced his support for Republican Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani.
Duvall is distantly related to President Harry Truman, Wallis Warfield Simpson (Duchess of Windsor), Vice President Dick Cheney, and U.S. Senator Barack Obama. All are related through ancestor Mareen Duvall.
Wins:
- 1983 - Best Actor in Tender Mercies
- 2007- Duvall won two Emmys: one for actor in a miniseries and one for producer. |
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