54 Facts About Robert Duvall

1.

Robert Selden Duvall is an American actor and filmmaker.

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2.

Robert Duvall is the recipient of an Academy Award, four Golden Globe Awards, a BAFTA Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

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3.

In 1984 Robert Duvall won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in the film Tender Mercies.

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4.

Robert Duvall's mother was a relative of American Civil War General Robert E Lee, and a member of the Lee Family of Virginia, while his father was a descendant of settler Mareen Duvall.

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5.

Robert Duvall was raised in the Christian Science religion and has stated that, while it is his belief, he does not attend church.

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6.

Robert Duvall grew up primarily in Annapolis, Maryland, site of the United States Naval Academy.

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7.

Robert Duvall graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Drama from Principia College in Elsah, Illinois, in 1953.

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8.

Robert Duvall's father had expected him to attend the Naval Academy, but Duvall said "I was terrible at everything but acting—I could barely get through school".

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9.

Robert Duvall again defied his father by serving in the United States Army after the Korean War leaving the Army as private first class.

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10.

Robert Duvall remains friends today with fellow California-born actors Hoffman and Hackman, whom he knew during their years as struggling actors.

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11.

In 1955, Robert Duvall roomed with Hoffman in a New York City apartment while they were studying together at the Playhouse.

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12.

Robert Duvall began his professional acting career with the Gateway Playhouse, an Equity summer theater based in Bellport, Long Island, New York.

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13.

Robert Duvall made his off-Broadway debut at the Gate Theater as Frank Gardner in George Bernard Shaw's Mrs Warren's Profession on June 25, 1958.

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14.

In 1959, Robert Duvall made his first television appearance on Armstrong Circle Theater in the episode "The Jailbreak".

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15.

Robert Duvall appeared regularly on television as a guest actor during the 1960s, often in action, suspense, detective, or crime dramas.

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16.

Robert Duvall was cast in the film on the recommendation of screenwriter Horton Foote, who met Duvall at Neighborhood Playhouse during a 1957 production of Foote's play, The Midnight Caller.

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17.

Robert Duvall had a small part as a cab driver who ferries McQueen around just before the chase scene in the film Bullitt.

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18.

Robert Duvall was the notorious malefactor "Lucky" Ned Pepper in True Grit, in which he engaged in a climactic shootout with John Wayne's Rooster Cogburn on horseback.

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19.

Robert Duvall became an important presence in American films beginning in the 1970s.

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20.

Robert Duvall drew a considerable amount of attention in 1970 for his portrayal of the malevolent Major Frank Burns in the film MASH and for his portrayal of the title role in THX 1138 in 1971 where he plays a fugitive trying to escape a society controlled by robots.

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21.

In 1976, Robert Duvall played supporting roles in The Eagle Has Landed, and as Dr Watson in The Seven-Per-Cent Solution with Nicol Williamson, Alan Arkin, Vanessa Redgrave and Laurence Olivier.

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22.

Robert Duvall received another Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor and won both a BAFTA Award and Golden Globe Award for his role as Lt.

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23.

Robert Duvall received a BAFTA Award nomination for his portrayal of detestable television executive Frank Hackett in the critically acclaimed film Network and garnered an Oscar nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role in The Great Santini (1979) as the hard-boiled Marine Lt.

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24.

Robert Duvall co-starred with Laurence Olivier and Tommy Lee Jones in The Betsy and portrayed United States President Dwight D Eisenhower in the television miniseries Ike (1979).

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25.

Robert Duvall received a Drama Desk Award nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Play.

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26.

Robert Duvall continued appearing in films during the 1980s, including the roles of disillusioned sportswriter Max Mercy in The Natural and Los Angeles police officer Bob Hodges in Colors (1988).

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27.

Robert Duvall won an Oscar for Best Actor as country western singer Mac Sledge in Tender Mercies.

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28.

Actress Tess Harper, who co-starred, said Robert Duvall inhabited the character so fully that she only got to know Mac Sledge and not Robert Duvall himself.

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29.

Beresford said of the actor, "Robert Duvall has the ability to completely inhabit the person he's acting.

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30.

In 1989, Robert Duvall appeared in the miniseries Lonesome Dove in the role of Captain Augustus "Gus" McCrae, Texas Rangers.

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31.

Robert Duvall has considered this particular role to be his personal favorite.

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32.

Robert Duvall won a Golden Globe Award and earned an Emmy Award nomination.

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33.

Godfather Part III, Robert Duvall declined the part, unless he was paid a salary comparable to Al Pacino's.

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34.

In 2004, Robert Duvall said on 60 Minutes, "if they paid Pacino twice what they paid me, that's fine, but not three or four times, which is what they did.

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35.

Robert Duvall has maintained a busy film career, sometimes appearing in as many as four in one year.

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36.

Robert Duvall received Oscar nominations for his portrayals of evangelical preacher Euliss "Sonny" Dewey in The Apostle—a film he wrote and directed—and played lawyer Jerome Facher in A Civil Action (1998).

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37.

Robert Duvall directed Assassination Tango, a thriller about one of his favorite hobbies, tango.

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38.

Robert Duvall portrayed General Robert E Lee in Gods and Generals in 2003.

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39.

Robert Duvall has periodically worked in television from the 1990s on.

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40.

Robert Duvall won a Golden Globe Award and garnered an Emmy nomination for his portrayal of Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin in the 1992 television film Stalin.

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41.

Robert Duvall was nominated for an Emmy again in 1997 for portraying Adolf Eichmann in The Man Who Captured Eichmann.

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42.

In 2005, Duvall was awarded a National Medal of Arts by President George W Bush at the White House.

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43.

Robert Duvall was nominated for a Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild, and Academy Award for his supporting role.

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44.

In 2015, at age 84, Robert Duvall became the oldest actor ever nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film The Judge, a record that has since been surpassed by Christopher Plummer.

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45.

Robert Duvall has been married four times but does not have any children.

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46.

Robert Duvall has said, "[I've tried] with a lot of different women, in and out of marriage.

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47.

In 2005, Robert Duvall married his fourth wife, Luciana Pedraza, granddaughter of Argentine aviation pioneer Susana Ferrari Billinghurst.

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48.

Robert Duvall met Pedraza in Argentina, recalling, "The flower shop was closed, so I went to the bakery.

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49.

Robert Duvall produced, directed, and acted with her in Assassination Tango, with the majority of filming in Buenos Aires.

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50.

Robert Duvall is known as a very skilled Argentine Tango dancer, having a Tango Studio in Argentina and in the United States.

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51.

Robert Duvall was personally invited to Republican President George W Bush's inauguration in 2001.

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52.

Robert Duvall worked the floor at the GOP's 2008 national convention.

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53.

Robert Duvall is known to train Brazilian jiu-jitsu and practices martial arts with his wife.

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54.

In May 2009, Robert Duvall spoke for historic preservation against Walmart's proposal to build a store across the road from the entrance to the Wilderness Battlefield national park in Orange County, Virginia.

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