Actor Robert Duvall, who starred in The Godfather, dies aged 95

Robert Duvall, the acclaimed actor known for his unforgettable performances in The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, has been the subject of widespread attention following reports about his life and legacy.

Duvall’s career spanned more than six decades, during which he became one of Hollywood’s most respected and versatile performers.

His wife, Luciana, shared a heartfelt statement praising both his talent and the man he was beyond the screen.

“To the world, he was an Academy Award-winning actor, a director, a storyteller,” she said. “To me, he was simply everything.”

Duvall became famous for portraying tough, commanding characters, including Tom Hagen in The Godfather and Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore in Apocalypse Now.

Though his screen time in the Vietnam War epic was brief, his iconic line — “I love the smell of napalm in the morning” — became one of the most quoted moments in film history.

Duvall won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1983 for his role as a washed-up country singer in Tender Mercies, one of the most celebrated performances of his career.

He also earned acclaim for roles in Network, The Great Santini, The Judge, and many other major films.

One of his personal favorite roles was Augustus McCrae in the beloved television miniseries Lonesome Dove, which introduced him to a new generation of viewers.

Duvall made his film debut in 1963’s To Kill a Mockingbird, playing the mysterious Boo Radley, and continued working with legendary writers like Horton Foote throughout his career.