The iron fist in the velvet glove: Robert Duvall’s seven-decade reign

Hollywood is mourning Robert Duvall, the "giant" of the silver screen who has passed away at 95. Al Pacino, his co-star in "The Godfather", led tributes to the man he called a "born actor", noting that his "phenomenal gift will always be remembered". Viola Davis, who worked with him on "Widows", added: "Greatness never dies. It stays – as a gift."

Robert Selden Duvall was born on 5 January, 1931, in San Diego. As the son of a US Navy rear admiral, he was expected to follow a military trajectory. He did serve in the army for two years after graduating from college in 1953, but the lure of the stage eventually drew him to New York City. After moving to New York, he pursued studying acting, and worked as a postal clerk to make ends meet. In his acting classes he met Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman, who both became lifelong friends. 

Duvall was a distinguished and prolific actor who lent a brooding intensity and grizzled authority to seven decades of American filmmaking. More character actor than leading man, he was known for a feisty, fiery machismo and a cantankerous contrariness. His acting style was rooted in a quiet, naturalistic power; he often stayed in the background of a scene, only to command it with a single look or a sudden burst of temper.

His 1962 screen debut in "To Kill a Mockingbird" remains one of the most striking in cinema history. As the reclusive Boo Radley, Duvall had no dialogue, yet his silent, pale presence shattered audiences. This ability to convey complex internal lives through minimalism became his trademark.

The 1970s saw Duvall become an essential collaborator for Director Francis Ford Coppola. As Tom Hagen, the shrewd consigliere in "The Godfather" and "The Godfather Part II", he provided the calm, intellectual centre to the Corleone family's violence. He reached another career peak in Coppola's "Apocalypse Now" (1979) as the bombastic Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore. His delivery of the legendary line, "I love the smell of napalm in the morning," defined the madness of war.

Though he was nominated for an Academy Award on seven occasions, his crowning moment came for his portrayal of Mac Sledge in the 1983 film "Tender Mercies". Playing a washed-up alcoholic country singer seeking redemption, Duvall showcased a different side of his craft. He insisted on performing his own singing and drove 600 miles across Texas to tape-record local accents. His performance was a masterclass in restraint, portraying a man of few words who wore his heartbreak on his sleeve. He beat an all-British line-up of fellow nominees to win the Oscar for Best Actor.

Duvall often looked happiest when riding a horse, particularly in the acclaimed TV mini-series "Lonesome Dove". "I think the Western kind of defines us," he said in 2016. "The English have Shakespeare; the French, Moliere; the Russians have Chekhov. But the Western is ours."

A man of immense discipline, Duvall also wrote and directed, most notably in 1997's "The Apostle". Off-camera, he was a man of vibrant passions, including the Argentine tango and barbecue. He is survived by his fourth wife, the Argentine actress Luciana Pedraza. He leaves behind a legacy of "towering portrayals" that defined the rugged, human soul of cinema.