Robert Duvall

Robert Duvall was born on January 5, 1931 in San Diego, California. He began his career in theater with roles in the 1950s in Laughter in the Stars, Time Out For Ginger, The Crucible and Dark of the Moon. His roles expanded to off-Broadway with Mrs. Warren’s Profession (1958), and My Rightful Name (1961). Duvall made his Broadway debut in Wait Until Dark in 1966. His first television roles were in long-running serials like Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Twilight Zone.

He made his film debut in 1962 alongside actor Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mockingbird before expanding to supporting roles in movies like Countdown and True Grit (1968). He joined the cast of MASH in 1970 and gained public recognition for his role in The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974). His role in Apocalypse Now (1979) became one of the most iconic in cinema, and Duvall earned an Oscar Nomination and won a BAFTA and a Golden Globe. He played Dwight Eisenhower in the 1979 miniseries Ike. Duvall made a singing debut in 1983’s Tender Mercies.

In 1989, Duvall joined the miniseries Lonesome Dove. He directed Assassination Tango (2002) and famously played General Robert E. Lee in Gods and Generals (2003). He was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2005 and was the oldest person to be nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Judge (2015) at the age of 84.