Robert Duvall

Infobox actor

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caption = Duvall at the Tribeca Film Festival, May 2007
birthdate = birth date and age|1931|1|5
birthplace = San Diego, California, USA
birthname = Robert Selden Duvall
occupation = Actor, director
yearsactive = 1959-present
spouse = nowrap|Barbara Benjamin (1964-1975)
nowrap|Gail Youngs (1982-1986)
nowrap|Sharon Brophy (1991-1996)
nowrap|Luciana Pedraza (2004-present)
academyawards = Best Actor
1983 "Tender Mercies"
emmyawards = Outstanding Lead Actor - Miniseries or a Movie
2007 "Broken Trail"
baftaawards = Best Supporting Actor
1980 "Apocalypse Now"
sagawards = Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture
1998 "A Civil Action"
goldenglobeawards = Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture
1980 "Apocalypse Now"
Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama
1984 "Tender Mercies"
Best Actor - Miniseries or TV Movie
1990 "Lonesome Dove"
1993 "Stalin"

Robert Selden Duvall (born January 5, 1931) is an American film actor and director who has won an Academy Award, two Emmy Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards. He has appeared in films such as "To Kill a Mockingbird", "The Godfather", "The Godfather Part II", "Apocalypse Now", "The Natural", "Network", "THX 1138", "MASH", "The Great Santini", "Tender Mercies", "Lonesome Dove", and "The Apostle".

Biography

Early life

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. [cite web|author=Roberts, Gary Boyd|publisher=New England Historic Genealogical Society|url=http://www.newenglandancestors.org/education/articles/research/special_guests/gary_boyd_roberts/gbr83.asp|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080121110802/http://www.newenglandancestors.org/education/articles/research/special_guests/gary_boyd_roberts/gbr83.asp|archivedate=2008-01-21
title=A Third Set of Ten Hollywood Figures (or Groups Thereof), with a Coda on Two Directors|accessdate=2008-01-03] [cite episode|series=Saturday Morning News|network=CNN|title=The Novak Zone: Interview With Robert Duvall|airdate=2003-02-15 |transcripturl=http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0302/15/smn.18.html] Duvall's father was a Methodist and his mother was a Christian Scientist, and Duvall was raised in the Christian Science religion. [ [http://www.adherents.com/people/pd/Robert_Duvall.html "The Religious Affiliation of Robert Duvall"] . Adherents.com.] 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 and The Principia in St. Louis, Missouri and graduated, in 1953, 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, leaving as Private First Class. While stationed at Fort Gordon in Georgia, Duvall acted in an amateur production of the comedy "Room Service" in nearby Augusta.

After leaving the Army, Duvall studied acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre in New York under Sanford Meisner. While working to become an actor, he worked as a Manhattan post office clerk. Duvall is 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.

Career

Duvall's screen debut was as Boo Radley in the critically acclaimed "To Kill a Mockingbird" (1962). Duvall later played the notorious malefactor Ned Pepper in "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 also received a nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role in The Great Santini as Lt. Col. "Bull" Meechum who was loosely based on world famous Marine Aviator, Colonel Donald Conroy. 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:

bquote|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 received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on September 18, 2003.Fact|date=January 2008

Duvall portrayed General Robert E. Lee in "Gods and Generals" in 2003 and is actually a relative of the Confederate general. He has stated in several forums, including "CBS Sunday Morning", that his favorite role was that of Augustus "Gus" McCrae in "Lonesome Dove".

In 2005, he was awarded a National Medal of Arts by President George W. Bush at the White House. [ [http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/11/images/20051110-2_d-0221-1-515h.html President George W. Bush stands with recipients of the 2005 National Medal of Arts winners Thursday, Nov. 9, 2005, in the Oval Office. Among those recognized for their outstanding contributions to the arts were, from left: Leonard Garment, arts advocate; Louis Auchincloss, author; Paquito D'Rivera, jazzist; James De Preist, symphony conductor; Tina Ramirez, choreographer; Robert Duval, actor, and Ollie Johnston, animator. White House photo by Eric Draper] ]

Personal life

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, the first to Barbara Benjamin, from 1964 until 1975. He then married Gail Youngs (1982–1986) and Sharon Brophy (1991–1996).

In 2005, Duvall married Luciana Pedraza, granddaughter of famous Argentinian aviator Susana Ferrari Billinghurst. 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 and Luciana have been active supporters of Pro Mujer, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping Latin America's poorest women help themselves through micro-credit, business training and health care linkages.

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.Fact|date=January 2008 Duvall faxed a message of support to Dumfries club Queen of the South ahead of the team playing in the 2008 Scottish Cup Final. [ [http://www.dgstandard.co.uk/dumfries-sport/tm_headline=a-supporting-role-from-hollywood&method=full&objectid=20961769&siteid=77296-name_page.html#story_continue A supporting role from Hollywood - Dumfries and Galloway Standard] ] Duvall became acquainted with the club in filming scenes in 1999 for 'A Shot at Glory'.

Duvall's political views are variously described as libertarian or conservative.cite news|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/06/60II/main591671.shtml|title=Robert Duvall Does The Tango|publisher=CBS News|author=Charlie Rose|date=8 September 2004] He was personally invited to Republican President George W. Bush's inauguration in 2001. On September 5, 2007, Duvall announced his support for Republican Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani. [cite news|url=http://www.joinrudy2008.com/article/pr/764|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080116033415/http://www.joinrudy2008.com/article/pr/764|archivedate=2008-01-16|title=Academy Award-Winning Actor Robert Duvall Supports Rudy Giuliani|date=September 5, 2007|work=joinrudy2008.com] According to MSNBC on August 29th, 2008, Duvall will be narrating most of the videos for the 2008 Republican Convention. In September 2008 he appeared on stage at a John McCain-Sarah Palin rally in New Mexico.

Filmography

References

External links

*imdb name|id=0000380|name=Robert Duvall
* [http://www.newsmeat.com/celebrity_political_donations/Robert_Duvall.php Political contributions of Robert Duvall]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/3362603.stm "'Napalm' speech tops movie poll" The BBC]
* [http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2006/06/19/robert_duvall_has_a_flying_pedigree Artículo Star Pulse 19/6/2006- "Hollywood legend Robert Duvall discovers he married into a family of great Argentinean aviators". ]

Persondata
NAME= Duvall, Robert
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=actor
DATE OF BIRTH= January 5, 1931
PLACE OF BIRTH= San Diego, California, U.S.
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=