Legendary ‘Godfather’ actor Robert Duvall dies
Oscar-winning actor Robert Duvall played some unforgettable characters during his seven-decade Hollywood career.
For Viola Davis, Robert Duvall was a guru in every sense of the word.
Davis, who co-starred with the Oscar-winning actor in 2018’s Widows, paid tribute to Duvall on social media after his death on Sunday, February 15. Duvall, who was 95, died “peacefully” at his home in Middleburg, Virginia, a representative for the actor confirmed to USA TODAY on Monday.
“It was an honor to work with you on ‘Widows’ and I was in awe,” Davis wrote in the thread.
In a stage, television and film acting career that spanned seven decades, Duvall played a wide range of unforgettable men, from mafia lawyer Tom Hagen in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 film The Godfather to surfing and napalm-loving Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore in Coppola’s 1979 Vietnam War epic Apocalypse Now.
“I have always been in awe of your towering portrayal of a man who is quiet yet dominant in his humanity,” Davis continued. “You were a giant…an icon….Greatness never dies. It remains…as a gift. Rest in peace, Master. Your name will be spoken…May the flight of angels sing your repose ❤️❤️❤️”
Here’s what other stars are saying about Duvall’s life and legacy.
adam sandler
Actor and comedian Adam Sandler called Duvall “one of the greatest actors I’ve ever met” in an Instagram post.
“Funny as hell and strong as hell. … A great person to talk to and laugh with,” Sandler wrote. “We loved him very much. We all did. There are so many legendary movies. Please watch them as much as you can. My condolences go out to his wife Luciana and all his family and friends.”
michael keaton
Michael Keaton, whose other co-star and longtime friend Catherine O’Hara passed away in January, wrote in an emotional Instagram post: “Another friend has passed away.”
Keaton, who co-starred with Duvall in the 1994 film “The Paper,” wrote, “(I) co-starred with (Robert) and (we) became friends.” “(We) spent a wonderful afternoon on the porch talking horses. He was the epitome of greatness as an actor. Rest in Peace.”
walton goggins
Walton Goggins, who starred in Duvall’s 1997 film The Apostle, paid tribute to Duvall’s guidance in a lengthy Instagram post.
“The light of heaven has just lost its luster, and to me it certainly has,” Goggins wrote alongside a nostalgic photo from the making of The Apostle. “Bobby Duvall, the greatest storyteller of all time, has left us. He was my friend. He was my mentor.”
“The privilege of working with this man and getting to know this man remains the most important experience of my life,” continued Goggins, who was 24 at the time. “He was my North Star, my hero. He knew it. He gave me permission and the privilege of never having to leave his side while we worked…”
Goggins added that he and Duvall “maintained a deep friendship for many years afterwards,” even though they “didn’t have to.”
“He influenced a lot of people…but this is my story,” Goggins concluded. “I love you, Bobby. Thank you for changing my life.”
Tributes to Stephen King, Mario Lopez, and even Robert Duvall
“‘I love the smell of napalm in the morning!'” author Stephen King wrote in X, quoting Duvall’s iconic line from Apocalypse Now. “Rest in peace, Robert Duvall.”
“Another day. Another symbolic and irreplaceable loss,” Josh Gad wrote in the thread. “Duvall was simply one of the greatest to do just that. From the Godfather movies to Apocalypse Now, from The Apostle to A Tale of Alabama, he defined cinema not just in movies, but throughout the ages. Rest In Peace.”
“Rest in peace to the great Robert Duvall,” Mario Lopez wrote in X magazine, along with a photo of the two of them. “I had the honor of working with him on the movie ‘Colors’ a long time ago…”
“Being a character actor who can steal every scene in the greatest movies ever made, while remaining a leading man who can carry movies big and small is no small feat in Hollywood,” Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos wrote on Instagram. “Robert Duvall was that kind of actor, that kind of star.”
“Today we lost one of our greatest players,” Sarandos concluded. “Thankfully, we will always have Tom Hagen, Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore, Bull Meacham, Mac Sledge and all the great characters he immortalized for us.”
Contributed by Brian Alexander and Anna Kaufman, USA TODAY
