Robert Duvall Biography

Robert Duvall (born on January 5, 1931) is an Academy Award-winning American film actor and director.

Biography

Robert Duvall was born in San Diego, California. Duvall's father, William Howard Duvall, was a former US Navy admiral with French Huguenot roots; his mother was an amateur actress and a descendant of American Civil War General Robert E. Lee. Robert's father was a Methodist and his mother was a Christian Scientist; he was raised in the Christian Science religion, which he claims to follow today despite many years living a decidedly un-Christian lifestyle (as he states in a 2006 article in Vanity Fair).

Duvall grew up in a military family, living for a time in Annapolis, Maryland near the United States Naval Academy. He served in the United States Army (service number 52 346 646) from 19 August 1953 to 20 August 1954, achieving the rank of Private First Class and awarded the National Defense Service Medal.

Duvall studied acting at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theatre in New York under Sanford Meisner. While struggling as an actor, he worked at a Manhattan post office as a clerk but quit after six months. Duvall said he didn't want to be working at the same place twenty years from now.

Robert Duvall's screen debut was as Boo Radley in the critically acclaimed To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) he later played the notorious malefactor Ned Pepper in True Grit (1969) but his breakout role was a decade later as Tom Hagen in The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974). Robert received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in A Civil Action and for his role as Colonel Kilgore in Apocalypse Now (1979).

Robert Duvall 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 was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2005. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on September 18, 2003.

Robert Duvall portrayed General Robert E. Lee in Gods and Generals in 2003 and is actually a distant relative of the historical figure.

Robert Duvall is close friends with Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman, both of whom he's known since their struggling actor days.

Robert Duvall has been married four times:

• Barbara Benjamin (1964 - 1975)
• Gail Youngs (1982 - 1986)
• Sharon Brophy (1991 - 1996)
• Luciana Pedraza (2005 - present)

Robert Duvall met Pedraza on a street in Buenos Aires. They were both born on January 5, but Robert Duvall is 40 years older. They have been together since 1997.

Robert speaks fluent Spanish and maintains a home in Virginia. He has the same birthday as Godfather co-star Diane Keaton. His favorite city is Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is an avid Tango dancer and soccer fan.

Film List

• A Night in Old Mexico (2006) (in production)
• The Berkeley Connection (2006) (announced)
• Bee Movie (2007) (filming) (voice)
• Lucky You (2006) (post-production) .... Mr. Cheever
• Broken Trail (2006)
• Thank You For Smoking (2006) ... Doak "The Captain" Boykin
• The Godfather: The Game (2005) (VG) (voice) .... Tom Hagen
• Kicking & Screaming (2005) .... Buck Weston
• Open Range (2003) .... Boss Spearman
• Secondhand Lions (2003) .... Hub
• Gods and Generals (2003) .... Gen. Robert E. Lee
• Assassination Tango (2002) .... John J. Anderson
• John Q (2002) .... Lt. Frank Grimes
• A Shot at Glory (2000) .... Gordon McLeod
• The 6th Day (2000) .... Dr. Griffin Weir
• Gone in 60 Seconds (2000) .... Otto Halliwell
• Deep Impact (1998) .... Capt. Spurgeon 'Fish' Tanner
• The Gingerbread Man (1998) .... Dixon Doss
• The Apostle (1997) .... Euliss 'Sonny' Dewey - The Apostle E.F.
• Phenomenon (1996) .... Doc Brunder
• A Family Thing (1996) .... Earl Pilcher Jr.
• The Man Who Captured Eichmann (1996) .... Adolf Eichmann
• The Scarlet Letter (1995) .... Roger Chillingworth
• The Stars Fell on Henrietta (1995) .... Mr. Cox
• "Sling Blade" (1994)... Carl's father
• Falling Down (1993) .... Prendergast
• Stalin (1992) (TV) .... Josef Stalin
• The Handmaid's Tale (1990) .... The Commander
• Days of Thunder (1990) .... Harry Hogge
• Lonesome Dove (1989) (TV) .... Augustus McCrae
• Colors (1988) ... Officer Bob Hodges
• The Natural (1984) .... Max Mercy
• Tender Mercies (1983) .... Max Sledge
• The Great Santini (1979)....Bull Meechum
• Apocalypse Now (1979) .... Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore
• The Godfather: Part II (1974) .... Tom Hagen
• The Conversation (1974) (uncredited) .... The Director
• Joe Kidd (1972) .... Frank Harlan
• Tomorrow (1972) .... Jackson Fentry
• The Godfather (1972) .... Tom Hagen
• Lawman (1971) .... Vernon Adams
• THX 1138 (1971) .... THX 1138
• The Revolutionary (1970) .... Despard
• M*A*S*H (1970) .... Frank Burns
• The Rain People (1969) .... Gordon
• True Grit (1969) .... Ned Pepper
• Bullitt (1968) .... Weissberg
• Countdown (1968) .... Chiz
• The Detective (1968) .... Nestor
• The Chase (1966) .... Edwin Stewart
• Captain Newman, M.D. (1963) .... Capt. Paul Cabot Winston
• To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) .... Arthur 'Boo' Radley