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Robert Duvall, a prominent figure in the “New Hollywood” era whose career spanned 70 years, has died at the age of 95.
Duvall’s wife Luciana confirmed his death in a Facebook post on February 16th.
“Yesterday we said goodbye to our beloved husband, dear friend, and one of the greatest actors of our time,” she wrote. The cause of death is unknown, but Luciana’s post continued: “Bob passed away peacefully at home surrounded by love and peace.”
Known for his chameleon-like abilities, Duvall disappeared into iconic film roles such as “The Godfather,” “Apocalypse Now,” and “Network.” He was nominated for an Academy Award seven times throughout his career, ultimately winning one nomination for his work in “The Great Santini.”
Luciana’s eulogy continued: “In each of his many roles, Bob gave his all to the characters and the truths of the human spirit they represented. In doing so, he left a lasting and unforgettable legacy on all of us.”
The actor’s filmography is extensive, but to celebrate the great actor’s life, here are 14 movies and shows you should check out on streaming.
Duvall’s illustrious film career began here. The actor, who began acting in bit roles on stage and television, made his film debut in the film adaptation of the popular Pulitzer Prize-winning novel as Boo Radley, the Finch family’s terrifying yet charming neighbor who ultimately becomes a major influence on the story.
Stream “A Tale of Alabama”: Prime Video (Purchase or Rent)
In 1970, Duvall starred in another film with a lasting legacy, Robert Altman’s M*A*S*H, which inspired the television series of the same name. He plays Major Frank Burns, the ultra-religious main antagonist and “heterosexual” type, in this black comedy.
Stream “M*A*S*H”: Prime Video (Purchase or Rent)
Duvall would receive seven Oscar nominations over the course of his career, but it all started here. He received his first Academy Award nomination for The Godfather, playing Tom Hagen, Don Vito Corleone’s consigliere and unofficial adopted son of the Corleone family. Duvall reprized the role two years later in The Godfather Part II.
Stream ‘The Godfather’ and ‘The Godfather Part II’ on Paramount+
“Network” has endured as a biting satire of big business, and in Sidney Lumet’s film, Duvall plays Frank Hackett, a soulless “corporate man” type figurehead for the corporation at the center of the film, Union Broadcasting System.
Stream “The Network”: Prime Video (Purchase or Rent)
Duvall’s second Oscar nomination came for his supporting role in Apocalypse Now, which reunited him with The Godfather collaborators Marlon Brando and Francis Ford Coppola. According to AFI, Duvall, who plays Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore, delivers one of the most iconic lines in movie history: “I love the smell of napalm in the morning.”
Stream Apocalypse Now: Prime Video (Purchase or Rent)
Just a year later, Duvall was nominated for an Oscar again. This time, he received his first nomination as a leading actor for “The Great Santini.” He plays a fighter pilot named Bull Meachum who calls himself the Great Santini. The film follows Meachum as he adjusts to life at home after traveling, unable to shake his cocky and competitive personality at the expense of his relationship with his wife and son.
Stream “The Great Santini”: Prime Video (Purchase or Rent)
Duvall finally won an Academy Award (his fourth nomination) for his leading role in Tender Mercies. He plays Mac Sledge, a former country music star whose alcoholism destroyed his career and relationship with his ex-wife and daughter. Sledge hopes to turn his life around through a new relationship with a young widow and her son in rural Texas. Duvall sang his own songs in the film and performed with a country band for the role.
Stream “Tender Mercies”: Prime Video (Free)
Duvall’s first Emmy nomination was for his work in the four-part miniseries “Lonesome Dove,” based on Larry McMurtry’s novel of the same name. In this sprawling Western, Duvall plays Captain Augustus “Gus” McRae, a widower and womanizer who lives along the Rio Grande with Captain Woodrow F. Cole, played by Tommy Lee Jones.
Stream “Lonesome Dove”: Prime Video (Free Trial)
Days of Thunder (1990)
At the beginning of the 1990s, Duvall played the second leading role in Tony Scott’s sports action drama Days of Thunder. He plays Harry Hodge, who comes out of retirement to become the crew chief for up-and-coming NASCAR driver Cole Trickle, played by Tom Cruise.
Stream “Days of Thunder” on: Paramount+, AMC+ (Free Trial)
Duvall was nominated for another Oscar for his lead role in The Apostle, which he also wrote and directed. He plays a charismatic Pentecostal preacher who flees Texas after beating his wife’s lover into a coma, starts over as “Apostle EF” in Louisiana, and opens a new church with the help of a retired pastor.
Stream “The Apostle”: Prime Video (Purchase or Rent)
A year later, Duvall received his sixth Oscar nomination for his supporting role in Civil Action, starring John Travolta. The film, based on the 1995 book by Jonathan Herr, tells the true story of a carcinogenic environmental pollution trial in Woburn, Massachusetts in the 1980s.
Stream “A Civil Action”: Prime Video (Purchase or Rent)
Duvall won his only Emmy Award for the AMC limited series “Broken Trail.” He won an award for lead actor and also won for Outstanding Miniseries as the show’s producer. This two-part series follows an elderly cowboy and his nephew (Thomas Haden Church) as they transport 500 horses from Oregon to Wyoming to be sold to the British army, while also rescuing and protecting five Chinese girls from slave traders.
Stream “Broken Trail”: Prime Video (Purchase or Rent)
Duvall’s seventh and final Academy Award nomination was for “The Judge,” in which he played the titular judge. The film tells the story of a successful lawyer (Robert Downey Jr.) who returns to his childhood home after his mother’s death, only to discover that his estranged father (Duvall) is a suspect in her murder. Determined to find the truth, he must reunite with the family he left behind years ago.
Stream ‘The Judge’: Prime Video (Purchase or Rent)
One of Duvall’s last film roles was in the sports drama “Hustle.” Duvall played Rex Merrick, the fictional owner of the Philadelphia 76ers, in the film. The film tells the story of a 76ers NBA scout (Adam Sandler) who discovers talented Spanish basketball players and prepares them for the NBA draft.
Stream “Hustle”: Netflix
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This article was written by Angela Tricarico, commerce streaming reporter for the New York Post, Page Six and Decider. Angela keeps readers up to date on how to watch all of their favorite reality shows and movies on each streaming service. In addition to testing and comparing streaming services for her writing to help her readers get the best deals, Angela is also an enthusiast who specializes in the intersection of shopping, technology, sports, celebrities, and pop culture. Before joining the Post in 2023, he wrote about streaming and consumer technology for Insider Reviews.
