Robert Duvall, the Oscar-winning actor known for his roles in The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, has died at the age of 95, according to U.S. news reports.
He died peacefully at his home in Middleburg, Virginia, on Sunday, according to a statement issued by his public relations agency on behalf of his wife, Luciana Duvall.
In a message, she said he passed away surrounded by love and comfort.
Duvall’s career spanned more than six decades, during which he built a reputation as one of Hollywood’s most enduring and versatile performers.
Duvall was widely recognized for portraying Tom Hagen, the mafia consigliere in The Godfather and The Godfather Part II.
He also played the cavalry officer Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 film Apocalypse Now.
Though his screen time in Apocalypse Now was limited, his line, “I love the smell of napalm in the morning”, became one of the most quoted in cinema history.
Over the course of his career, he appeared in a broad range of films, including To Kill a Mockingbird, MASH, Bullitt, True Grit, Network, The Natural, and Gone in 60 Seconds.
He received multiple Academy Award nominations and won the Oscar for best actor for his role as a country singer in Tender Mercies in the early 1980s.
He later earned another nomination for best supporting actor for his performance in The Judge in 2015, becoming at the time the oldest male actor nominated in that category.
Born in San Diego, California, in 1931, Duvall was the son of a naval officer.
He studied drama in St. Louis, Missouri, and later trained at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre in New York.
In addition to acting, he directed several films, including Angelo, My Love, The Apostle, Assassination Tango, and Wild Horses.
Duvall was married four times and had no children.
His wife, Luciana, described him as an artist devoted to his craft and said he leaves behind something lasting and unforgettable.