According to NBC News, his family announced his passing on 15/2 at his home in Middleburg, Virginia. Relatives did not disclose a specific cause, stating only that he passed away peacefully due to old age and declining health. In his final years, he lived with his family on a farm in Virginia. His last films were Widows (2018) and Hustle (2022).

His wife, Luciana Duvall, stated, "To the world, he was an Oscar-winning actor, a director, a storyteller. To me, he was everything". The family hopes audiences will remember the actor by revisiting his films.

Al Pacino, his co-star in "The Godfather", expressed his honor at working with Duvall, calling him "a gifted actor". "The Godfather" director Francis Ford Coppola described his passing as a great loss, emphasizing that Duvall was an indispensable part of American Zoetrope film studio.

Robert Duvall at the Toronto Film Festival, Canada, in 2018. Photo: AP

Robert Duvall was born on 5/1/1931 in San Diego, to a family where his father was a US Navy admiral. His childhood, moving with his family through various military bases, allowed him to observe and remember the voices and gestures of many different social strata. This life experience later became material for his acting. He studied at Principia College, served two years in the US military, then pursued acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York, alongside Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman.

He made his film debut in 1962 as Boo Radley in "To Kill a Mockingbird", a character with few lines but deep inner complexity. The 1970s marked a turning point when Duvall took on the role of lawyer Tom Hagen, the calm advisor to the Corleone family, in "The Godfather" series. This role earned him his first Oscar nomination for best supporting actor, elevating his status among Hollywood's prominent figures. In 1979, he further left his mark as Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore in "Apocalypse Now".

Robert Duvall (left) and Marlon Brando in "The Godfather". Photo: Everett Collection

In 1984, he reached a career pinnacle, winning an Academy Award for best actor for his portrayal of a down-on-his-luck country singer in "Tender Mercies". In the film, he performed the songs himself, depicting a man's journey of self-discovery after battling alcoholism. Beyond this win, he received six more Oscar nominations for films including "The Great Santini", "The Apostle", "A Civil Action", and "The Judge".

Alongside his film work, Duvall also left his mark on television. He once stated that his most cherished role was cowboy Augustus McCrae in the mini-series "Lonesome Dove". This work earned him an Emmy nomination. In 2006, he won two Emmy Awards for the series "Broken Trail", including best lead actor and outstanding miniseries for his role as a producer.

Over a career spanning more than 60 years, Duvall received seven Oscar nominations and seven Golden Globe nominations, winning one BAFTA, four Golden Globes, and two Emmys. Critics often likened him to a "chameleon" of the screen, capable of embodying many different personalities. However, he once said, "I don't become the character. It's still me, just adjusted".

Beyond acting, he ventured into directing with films such as "Angelo My Love", "The Apostle", "Assassination Tango", and "Wild Horses". "The Apostle" (1997), a project he wrote and starred in—a work imbued with his personal passion—earned him an Oscar nomination for best actor.

By Thanh Thanh (According to NBC, People)