Duvall, Robert (1931-…), is an American motion-picture actor and director known for his versatility in a wide range of character roles. Duvall won the Academy Award as best actor for his performance as a struggling country music singer in Tender Mercies (1983). He won acclaim for his roles in The Godfather (1972) and its sequel, The Godfather, Part II (1974); Apocalypse Now (1979); The Great Santini (1980); and The Apostle (1997), which he also wrote and directed.
Robert Selden Duvall was born on Jan. 5, 1931, in San Diego . After serving in the Army for two years during the Korean War (1950-1953), he went to New York City to become a stage actor. He made his motion-picture debut as Boo Radley, the Finches’ mysterious neighbor in To Kill a Mockingbird (1962). His other films include Bullitt (1968); M*A*S*H (1970); The Natural (1984); Days of Thunder (1990); Sling Blade (1996); A Civil Action and The Gingerbread Man (both 1998); John Q (2001); Open Range (2003); Secondhand Lions (2003); We Own the Night (2007); Four Christmases (2008); Get Low, The Road, and Crazy Heart (all 2009); Seven Days in Utopia (2011); Jack Reacher (2012); and The Judge (2014). Duvall wrote, directed, and acted in Wild Horses (2015). He also co-starred with Tommy Lee Jones in the television miniseries Lonesome Dove (1989). He won an Emmy Award in 2007 for best actor for his performance in the television Western miniseries Broken Trail.
