Francis Ford Coppola took to Instagram Monday afternoon to pay tribute to his longtime collaborator and friend Robert Duvall, who passed away Sunday at the age of 95.
“What a shock to hear of Robert Duvall’s passing,” Coppola wrote. “A very great actor, he was a staple of American Zoetrope from the beginning, including “The Rain People,” “The Conversation,” “The Godfather,” “The Godfather Part II,” “Apocalypse Now,” “THX 1138,” and “Assassination Tango.”
As Coppola noted, he collaborated with Duvall on seven films throughout his career: The Rain People (1969), THX 1138 (1971), The Godfather (1972), The Conversation (1974), The Godfather Part II (1974), Apocalypse Now (1979), and Assassination Tango. (2002).
“The Godfather Part II” co-stars Robert De Niro and Al Pacino also paid tribute to Duvall on Monday. “It was an honor to work with Robert Duvall,” Pacino said in a statement to Variety. “He was, as they say, a natural born actor and will always be remembered for his connection, understanding and incredible talent. He will be sorely missed.”
De Niro wrote in his own eulogy: “God bless Bobby. I hope he lives to be 95. May he rest in peace.”
Tributes from Hollywood’s biggest stars flooded social media following news of Duvall’s death. Viola Davis wrote on Instagram that it was an “honor” to work with Duvall in the 2018 thriller “Widows.”
“I was in awe,” Davis added, “I was always in awe of your portrayal of towering men, quiet yet dominant in their humanity. You were a giant… an icon… ‘Apocalypse Now,’ ‘The Godfather.’ ‘A Tale of Alabama’, ‘Tender Mercy’, ‘The Apostle’, ‘The Lonely Dove’… Greatness never dies. It remains… As a gift, rest in peace, your name will be spoken… May the flight of angels give you peace.”
Michael Keaton, who co-starred with Duvall in Ron Howard’s 1994 office comedy The Paper, paid tribute to Duvall on Instagram: “Another friend has fallen. We acted together and became friends. We spent a wonderful afternoon on the porch talking about horses. He was the epitome of greatness as an actor. Rest in Peace.”
