Tributes paid to Godfather actor Robert Duvall: "The greatest storyteller of all time"

Tributes have poured in for legendary actor Robert Duvall, who passed away on Sunday, February 15, in his Virginia home. He was 95.

"The celestial light just lost its glow," wrote actor Walton Goggins in a statement on Instagram. "Bobby Duvall, the greatest storyteller of all time… He was my friend. My mentor... He was my North Star, my hero."

"He gave me permission, afforded me the privilege of never having to leave his side while we were working… we maintained a deep friendship for years after. He didn’t have to do that. But he did. He had that effect on a lot of people."

The Godfather actor was nominated for seven Academy Awards over the course of his seven-decade career. He won the Oscar for Best Actor in 1983 for his work in Tender Mercies.

Duvall's wife, Luciana Pedraza Duvall, shared the news of his death on Facebook.

“Yesterday we said goodbye to my beloved husband, cherished friend, and one of the greatest actors of our time," she stated. "Bob passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by love and comfort.”

Born Robert Selven Duvall on January 5, 1931, Duvall rose to fame towards the end of the Golden Age of Hollywood. His film debut was in 1962's To Kill a Mockingbird as reclusive neighbor Boo Radley.

"When he did To Kill A Mockingbird, he just destroyed you with his performance of Boo Radley," actor Alec Baldwin said in a video tribute to Duvall. "He used not a single word of dialogue, not a single word, and he just shatters you."

"The world has lost a great, great, actor... My thoughts go out to his wife."

 

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Adam Sandler, who worked with Duvall in the 2022 film Hustle, called Duvall "one of the greatest actors we ever had."

"Funny as hell. Strong as hell... Such a great man to talk to and laugh with. Loved him so much... So many movies to choose from that were legendary. Watch them when you can. Sending his wife Luciana and all his family and friends our condolences."

Jamie Lee Curtis called Duvall "the greatest consigliere the screen has ever seen" and wished him "bravo".

Viola Davis took to Threads to pay her respects, writing, "I had the honor of working alongside you in Widows. I was in awe. I’ve always been in awe of your towering portrayals of men who were both quiet and dominating in their humanness.

"You were a giant… an icon… Apocalypse Now, The Godfather, To Kill a Mockingbird, Tender Mercies, The Apostle, Lonesome Dove… etc… Greatness never dies. It stays… as a gift. Rest well, sir. Your name will be spoken… May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest."

Francis Ford Coppola, who directed Duvall in The Godfather, The Rain People, and Apocalypse Now, among others, called the news "a blow." Of Duvall, he stated, "Such a great actor and such an essential part of  American Zoetrope from its beginning."

 

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"One of the best ever. Period," Michael Imperioli wrote in a short tribute to Duvall. "An actor’s actor. Brilliant. Genius. Mesmerized in every role. One of the greatest bodies of work in cinema history."