Remembering Robert Duvall and his storied career

Transcript

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Amna Nawaz: Also tonight, one of Hollywood’s most memorable legends, Robert Duvall, has died. The Academy Award winner enjoyed a long and storied career, carving out a lane as both an unorthodox leading man and a supporting player in some of the greatest films in movie history.

Robert Duvall, Actor: I love the smell of napalm in the morning.

Amna Nawaz: Over a career spanning more than 60 years, Robert Duvall became one of America’s most respected and versatile actors in Hollywood history, known for his incredible range and command of the screen.

Robert Duvall: Clarence, take it easy. How the hell could I see this? It’s just going on now.

Amna Nawaz: He got his start on an early classic, playing Boo Radley in 1962’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” a wordless role in which he made a mark.

A broad spectrum of films and roles followed, the villain opposite John Wayne in the epic American Western “True Grit,” and the inept and often pompous Major Frank Burns in “MASH.”

Robert Duvall: Keep your filthy mouth to yourself.

Amna Nawaz: But it wasn’t until the role of Tom Hagen for “The Godfather,” a concerned lawyer and consigliere for the Corleone crime family, that would launch Duvall’s career.

(Crosstalk)

Robert Duvall: Even the shooting of your father was business, not personal, Sonny.

Well, I always knew after “Godfather” one, I would do maybe OK, but I knew that it might happen in 10 years after everybody else. And I was — somebody once said between 25 and 40, they’re good actors. After that, something happens in a negative way. So I always tried to remember that and think of myself in the potential.

As I grow older, I have more experience and I feel I have more to offer, that I have become a better performer.

Amna Nawaz: Duvall was known for bringing naturalism to his roles. His ability to transform reached another high mark in 1979, when he played a tyrannical father and fighter pilot in “The Great Santini.”

Robert Duvall: Hey, hey, hey, mama’s boy, I bet you’re going to cry. Come on, mama’s boy.

Amna Nawaz: That same year, some of his most memorable work in less than 20 minutes of total screen time playing Lt. Col. Kilgore in “Apocalypse Now.”

Duvall was nominated for seven Oscars, winning his only one for his performance as a washed-up country music star in the much quieter “Tender Mercies.” Duvall also stepped behind the camera, writing and directing, as well as starring in “The Apostle,” as a deeply flawed preacher seeking redemption.

The performance would earn him another Academy Award nomination. He was nominated for multiple Emmys as well, including for one of his best roles in the miniseries “Lonesome Dove” as ranger Gus McCrae.

Robert Duvall: I’m giving you a reason to go off on another adventure.

Amna Nawaz: The show was a huge hit and set a new standard for television series.

In all, Duvall had more than 140 film and television acting credits and remained active into his 90s. His family said he died peacefully in his home in Virginia. Robert Duvall was 95 years old.