Robert Duvall, Oscar-Winning Actor and Star of 'The Godfather', Dies Aged 95

Oscar-winning actor Robert Duvall, best known for his work in The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, has died aged 95, his wife has announced in a Facebook post.

“For each of his many roles, Bob gave everything to his characters and to the truth of the human spirit they represented,” Luciana Duvall said in a statement on Monday.

Duvall was best known for playing forceful roles such as his depiction of Tom Hagen, consigliere to the Corleone Mafia family in The Godfather.

He also played Lieutenant Colonel Bull Meechum in The Great Santini and the title character in Stalin, as well as broken-down and fallen characters in Tender Mercies and The Apostle.

Tributes have poured in for the Hollywood great. Former co-star Adam Sandler said Duvall was “one of the greatest actors we have ever had”, whilst Sopranos star Michael Imperioli paid tribute to “one of the best ever”, who was “an actor’s actor”.

Duvall, the son of a US Navy admiral and an amateur actress, grew up in Annapolis, Maryland, in the United States. After graduating from Principia College in Illinois and serving in the US Army, he moved to New York City, where he roomed with Dustin Hoffman and befriended Gene Hackman when the three were struggling acting students.

Source: Al Jazeera