Background:

Hollywood veteran actor Robert Duvall displayed his endless talent when he wrote, executive produced, directed, as well as starred as Euliss ‘Sonny’ Dewey in The Apostle (1997). For his brilliant work, he harvested numerous awards, including a Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award, a Golden Satellite Award and an Independent Spirit Award and received Oscar and Screen Actors Guild nominations.

This is not his only bright moment. First, he took the role of Tom Hagen in Francis Ford Coppola’s adaptation of Mario Puzo’s The Godfather (1972) and took home a New York Film Critics Circle Award, as well as an Oscar and BAFTA nomination. Hitting the cinematic industry with the supporting role of Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore in the Vietnam epic Apocalypse Now (1979), Duvall picked up a Golden Globe Award, an American Movie Award and a British Academy Award, as well as earned his second Oscar nomination.

He continued to soar to unforeseen heights with his award-winning roles, including Lt. Col. Bull Meechum in The Great Santini (1980, won a Montréal World Film Festival Award and received an Oscar nomination), country singer Mac Sledge in his producing debut, Tender Mercies (1983, collected an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a New York Film Critics Circle Award and a Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award), Augustus ‘Gus’ McCrae, a former Texas Ranger, in the miniseries “Lonesome Dove” (1989, netted a Golden Globe Award and a Western Heritage Award), a titular turn in the TV biopic Stalin (1992, gained a Golden Globe Award) and Jerome Facher in the wide screen adaptation of Jonathan Harr’s book, A Civil Action (1998, won a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Florida Film Critics Circle Award, also received an Oscar and Golden Globe nomination).

Receiving more critical praise in 1997, Duvall won a Carl Foreman Prize from the American Cinema Foundation, a President’s award from the American Society of Cinematographers, as well as a National Board of Review Career Achievement award. He also became the recipient of the 1998 Blockbuster Entertainment Filmmaker award and a Special award of the Texas Legend from the Lone Star Film & Television in 1998. Five years later, he was granted a Donostia Lifetime Achievement award from the San Sebastián International Film Festival.

Off screen, the founder of Butchers Run Films Production Company, Duvall received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2003. He also did voiceover work for Lexus Car commercials. Romantically, Duvall has been linked to a number of women. He was once married to Barbara Benjamin (1964-1975), Gail Youngs (1982-1986) and Sharon Brophy (1991-1995). The stepfather of two daughters, Duvall is currently living with his partner, Luciana Pedraza (equestrian, events planner).


General Lee

Childhood and Family:

In San Diego, California, Robert Selden Duvall was born on January 5, 1931, to William Howard Duvall (military officer) and an actress mother. He is a direct descendant of General Robert E. Lee. When he was 10, the family moved to the East Coast and once spent several years on his uncle’s ranch in Montana.

Robert attended Principia College in Elsah, Illinois. Initially, he majored in history and government, but his interest in acting made him shift to the drama department. From August 19, 1953, to August 20, 1954, young Robert served in the United States Army, before finally studying Acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York. Later, while struggling to be an actor, he also worked as a post office clerk, but quit after six months.

On a more personal side, Robert has had three failed marriages. After divorcing designer Barbara Benjamin (1964-1975), the actor married actress Gail Youngs in 1982. Four years later, the couple separated. On May 1, 1991, he tied the knot with a dance instructor named Sharon Brophy, but that marriage also ended up in divorce four years after. Robert is the stepfather of two daughters and lives with his partner Luciana Pedraza.


Apocalypse Now

Career:

Robert Duvall made his first acting move on stage in 1958 when he joined playwright Horton Foote in the New York production of “The Midnight Caller.” The same year, he followed it up with an off-Broadway debut in “Mrs. Warren’s Profession.” Inevitably, he went to the small screen and made guest performances in several series, from “Armstrong Circle Theatre” (1959, 1960), to “Naked City” (4 episodes, 1961 and 1962). In 1962, Duvall had his first performance on the wide screen in the adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, playing the supporting role of Arthur ‘Boo’ Radley. He also continued guest starring in numerous TV series, including “The Twilight Zone” (1963), “The Outer Limits” (1964) and “Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea” (1965).

On stage, Duvall began catching attention in the Ulu Grosbard-directed “A View from the Bridge” (1965), which led him to a starring turn in a Broadway production of “Wait Until Dark” (1966). He soon debuted on TV movies by taking the role of Eddie Franchot in the drama Fame Is the Name of the Game (1966), which was ensued by his guest appearance in “The Wild Wild West” (1967). Gaining further notice, Duvall began collaborating with Hollywood talents, such as performer Frank Sinatra in the crime drama The Detective (1968), director Francis Ford Coppola in The Rain People (1969), actor Jon Voight in the low budget drama The Revolutionary (1970) and George Lucas in his major directing debut THX 1138 (1971).

The first recipient of the Gibbowr award from the CFT Excellence, Duvall clearly proved his distinctive flair when he rejoined Francis Ford Coppola in the famous adaptation of Mario Puzo’s novel The Godfather (1972), where he was cast as Tom Hagen. For his awesome performance, Duvall won a New York Film Critics Circle for Best Supporting Actor and earned Oscar and BAFTA nominations for Best Supporting Actor. After his starring turn in The Outfit (1973), the newcomer reprised his role of Tom Hagen in The Godfather: Part II (1974). Eager to explore the realm of acting, Duvall tried a hand at directing and made his debut in the documentary film about a rodeo family in Nebraska, We’re Not the Jet Set (1975).

A year later, the rising actor gave a fine turn as Frank Hackett in the Oscar-winning drama Network and received a BAFTA nomination. Duvall then went to his last performance on stage in David Mamet’s “American Buffalo” on Broadway (1977), before portraying General Dwight D. Eisenhower in the TV movie Ike: The War Years (1978), a role he reprised in the miniseries version of the film, “Ike” (1979).

Before long, Duvall encountered massive success when he made a third movie with director Coppola in the Vietnam epic Apocalypse Now (1979), playing the supporting part of Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore, the head of a US Army helicopter cavalry group. Thanks to the seamless acting, the actor collected a Golden Globe, an American Movie and a British Academy for Best Supporting Actor, and accepted his second Oscar Best Supporting Actor nomination. In the war movie, Duvall also contributed a composition titled “Love Me and Let Me Love You.” Still in 1979, the victory was ensued with his notable leading turn as the hard-nosed Lt. Col. Bull Meechum in The Great Santini, in which he took home a Montréal World Film Festival for Best Actor and became an Oscar nominee for Best Actor. Two years later, he had a rewarding reunion with director Ulu Grosbard in True Confessions (1981, starred as Thomas “Tom” Spellacy the detective), and netted a Pasinetti award from the Venice Film Festival.

Duvall’s career gained real momentum in 1983 with his breakout performance in his producing debut, Tender Mercies, where he starred as washed-up country singer Mac Sledge. Delivering an outstanding portrayal, the actor reaped an Oscar, a Golden Globe, a New York Film Critics Circle and a Los Angeles Film Critics Association for Best Actor. Duvall also created two song lyrics (“Fool’s Waltz” and “I’ve Decided to Leave Here Forever”) and sang five songs for the drama movie. The actor stepped further toward the director’s chair and helmed the drama Angelo My Love (1983, also did the screenwriting), directing amateur actors.

After costarring opposite Glenn Close in The Stone Boy (1984), Duvall nabbed a second Venice Film Festival’s Pasinetti for his part as Calvin Caspary in the drama The Lightship (1986). His first voice work in the short spoof Apocalypse Pooh (1987) preceded a small screen triumph, which happened after starring as Augustus ‘Gus’ McCrae, a former Texas Ranger, in the miniseries “Lonesome Dove” (1989). Duvall won a Golden Globe for Best Actor and a Bronze Wrangler from the Western Heritage awards and earned his first Emmy nomination for Best Actor.

Following roles in the sci-fi drama The Handmaid’s Tale (1990) and Rambling Rose (1991), Duvall undertook a Golden Globe-winning titular turn in the TV biopic Stalin (1992, also earned an Emmy nomination). He also costarred as the Chief of Scouts Al Sieber, opposite Gene Hackman, in the Western movie Geronimo: An American Legend (1993) and was handed a second Western Heritage’s Bronze Wrangler. Duvall then detoured to the drama comedy genre by playing Bernie White in The Paper (1994), before having the role of Roger Chillingworth in the adaptation of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter (1995).

In 1996, Duvall received rave reviews for his role of Karl Childers’ father in Sling Blade, as well as for his title role in the historical drama The Man Who Captured Eichmann (TV, also executive produced). However, immense triumph came with the acclaimed drama The Apostle (1997), in which he wrote the script, executive produced, directed, as well as starred as a southern preacher. Duvall earned praise and harvested numerous awards, including a Los Angeles Film Critics Association and a Golden Satellite for Best Actor, as well as an Independent Spirit for Best Director. Additionally, he received an Oscar and Screen Actors Guild nomination for Best Actor. Duvall was then handed a Screen Actors Guild and a Florida Film Critics Circle for Best Supporting Actor due to his superb acting as Jerome Facher in the wide screen adaptation of Jonathan Harr’s book, A Civil Action (1998, also received an Oscar and Golden Globe nomination).

Meanwhile, Duvall rose to even higher eminence and in 1997, he was given a Carl Foreman Prize from the American Cinema Foundation, a President’s award from the American Society of Cinematographers, as well as a National Board of Review Career Achievement award. He also became the recipient of the 1998 Blockbuster Entertainment Filmmaker award and a Special award of Texas Legend from the Lone Star Film & Television in 1998.

The veteran actor was then seen as Gordon McLeod in the sport drama A Shot at Glory (2000, also produced), John J. Anderson in the drama thriller Assassination Tango (2002, also wrote, directed and produced) and Boss Spearman in Kevin Costner’s Western movie Open Range (2003). After producing the documentary film Portrait of Billy Joe (2004), Duvall took a part as tobacco tycoon Doak ‘The Captain’ Boykin in the satirical comedy Thank You for Smoking (2005), for director Jason Reitman.

The recipient of Donostia Lifetime Achievement award from the 2003 San Sebastián International Film Festival, Duvall will have the leading role of Print Ritter in his self-produced Western miniseries “Broken Trail” (2006). In addition, he is set to take parts in the drama comedy The Berkeley Connection (2006, alongside Dustin Hoffman and Jennifer Connelly), the drama A Night in Old Mexico (2006) and Curtis Hanson’s Lucky You (2006, as L. C. Cheever). Duvall will also appear as Burt Grusinsky in the crime drama We Own the Night (2007) and provide his voice for a character in the star-studded animated comedy Bee Movie (2007), featuring Jerry Seinfeld, Uma Thurman and Oprah Winfrey.


Awards:

• San Sebastián International Film Festival: Donostia Lifetime Achievement Award, 2003
• Florida Film Critics Circle: Best Supporting Actor, A Civil Action, 1999
• Screen Actors Guild: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role, A Civil Action, 1999
• Blockbuster Entertainment: Filmmaker Award, 1998
• Chicago Film Critics Association: Best Actor, The Apostle, 1998
• Florida Film Critics Circle: Best Actor, The Apostle, 1998
• Golden Satellite: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama, The Apostle, 1998
• Independent Spirit: Best Director, The Apostle, 1998
• Independent Spirit: Best Male Lead, The Apostle, 1998
• Las Vegas Film Critics Society: Best Actor, The Apostle, 1998
• Lone Star Film & Television: Special Award - Texas Legend, 1998
• National Society of Film Critics: Best Actor, The Apostle, 1998
• Los Angeles Film Critics Association: Best Actor, The Apostle, 1997
• American Cinema Foundation: Carl Foreman Prize, 1997
• American Society of Cinematographers: President’s Award, 1997
• National Board of Review: Career Achievement Award, 1997
• Society of Texas Film Critics: Best Actor, The Apostle, 1997
• Western Heritage: Bronze Wrangler - Theatrical Motion Picture, Geronimo: An American Legend, 1994
• Golden Globe: Best Actor in a Leading Role--Mini-Series or Television Movie, Stalin, 1992
• Western Heritage: Bronze Wrangler - Television Feature Film, Lonesome Dove, 1990
• Golden Globe: Best Actor in a Leading Role--Mini-Series or Television Movie, Lonesome Dove, 1989
• Golden Boot, 1989
• Venice Film Festival: Pasinetti Award - Best Actor, The Lightship, 1986
• Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama, Tender Mercies, 1984
• New York Film Critics Circle: Best Actor, Tender Mercies, 1983
• Oscar: Best Actor, Tender Mercies, 1983
• Los Angeles Film Critics Association: Best Actor, Tender Mercies, 1983
• Venice Film Festival: Pasinetti Award - Best Actor, True Confessions, 1981
• Montréal World Film Festival: Best Actor, The Great Santini, 1980
• American Movie: Best Supporting Actor, Apocalypse Now, 1980
• British Academy: Best Actor Supporting, Apocalypse Now, 1980
• Golden Globe: Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Apocalypse Now, 1979
• New York Film Critics Circle: Best Supporting Actor, The Godfather, 1973
• CFT Excellence: Gibbowr Award