Born in
San Diego,
California on January 5, 1931,
Robert Duvall has been acting for over thirty-five years. Debuting in "
To Kill a Mockingbird" in 1962, Duvall has been in over seventy-five works on both the big and small screens.
Duvall started his adult life by attending Principia College after high school. It was here that he was bitten by the acting bug. As a young struggling actor in the mid 1950s, Duvall performed in small theater productions and television dramas. Along his way, he met another young struggling actor by the name of Dustin Hoffman. The two shared an apartment for a year or so before going on with their careers.
In 1962, Duvall made his feature film debut in Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird" starring Gregory Peck. Portraying the enigmatic and reclusive Boo Radley, Duvall finally put his foot in the door. It was here Robert Duvall attracted the attention of Hollywood directors, however it wouldn't be until the 1970s that Duvall would be promoted from supporting to lead roles.
It wasn't until 1971, with him accepting the role of Tom Hayden in "The Godfather" that Duvall received critical acclaim and an Oscar nomination. In 1979, Duvall received two more Oscar nominations. His portrayals of Bull Meechum ("The Great Santini") and 'I love the smell of napalm in the morning' Kilgore ("Apocalypse Now") that he finally cemented himself as a full time leading man, and an acting force to be reckoned with when he was nominated for two best actor Oscars.
In 1983, Robert Duvall finally caught that elusive game known as the Oscar with his winning of the best actor award for his work in "Tender Mercies", as a country singer.
When not working in front of the camera, Duvall is found in the director's chair. Having "We're Not the Jet Set", "Angelo, My Love", and "The Apostle" all under his directing belt. For "The Apostle", Duvall directed, wrote, and starred as the title character. He also used the unorthodox approach of using non-actors for the roles of the locals in the various Texas towns.
When choosing his roles, Duvall is 'picky'. Easily a candidate for a leading man, Duvall instead chooses to take the deeper supporting roles. Evidence of this is his work in "Gone in 60 Seconds" and "Deep Impact"; both recent films.
Robert Duvall Filmography
Biographical information: http://film.tierranet.com/films/a.now/duvall.html
Filmography information: http://www.imdb.com