It may seem like fate the way we have been blessed with the many talented actors and actresses throughout the history of cinema. How does one starving artist rise above the crowd of thousands and land the role that makes them a household name? Robert Duvall, 85 today, 5 January, 2016, is one such actor who started out with a struggling career only to follow the grace of Lady Luck and become one of the most celebrated actors of all time.
In 1955, Duvall began studying acting at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theater in New York. This was years before fame knocked at his door. However, more good company surrounded him than he likely realized. Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman studied under the tutelage of prolific acting teacher, Sanford Meisner, alongside Duvall. For a time, Duvall had roomed with both Hoffman and Hackman. Eventually, Duvall’s apartment became a safe haven of sorts for struggling artists trying to find work in New York City. Many actors and musicians would frequent his apartment for days or weeks at a time. This, of course, led to an apartment teeming with art, including Hoffman on the piano, Duvall’s impersonation of Hank Williams, and Hoffman and Duvall’s original improvised skit entitled “Roger’s Rangers, the Toughest Unit in All the Services.” It seems as though fate brought together these actors. They probably never imagined that one day they would rise above the thousands of struggling actors to become fully-fledged A-list stars.
Duvall and Hoffman continued as friends and roommates in New York City for some time, acting and chasing girls together. On one particular occasion, when the two were at a diner together, they spotted two pretty Puerto Rican girls and introduced themselves. With improvisational skills in his stead, Duvall came up with the odd pickup line: “We live right around the corner. You want to come up to our apartment? We have new linoleum in the kitchen.” Neither of the actors has revealed if those smooth words seemed to do the trick.
Duvall’s professional acting career began in Long Island at the Gateway Playhouse. His roles include Hal Carter in Picnic, John the Witchboy in Dark of the Moon, and Eddie Davis in Time Out For Ginger. On February 2, 1966, Duvall made his Broadway debut in Wait Until Dark as Harry Roat, Jr. at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. He moved to television for the first time in 1959 on Armstrong Circle Theater. Throughout the 1960s, Duvall consistently appeared in guest roles on television, including the shows Naked City and The Mod Squad. Duvall finally found his home on the big screen as Boo Radley in the 1962 screen adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird. Still at the beginning of his career in film, Duvall appeared in many other films following To Kill a Mockingbird, including Captain Newman, M.D. (1963) and True Grit (1969).
By the 1970’s Duvall was well on his way to achieving major success in film. His first critically acclaimed role came with his portrayal of Tom Hagen in the classic 1972 film The Godfather, which earned him his first Academy Award nomination. In 1980, Duvall earned his second Academy Award nomination for work as Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore in the Francis Ford Coppola classic, Apocalypse Now (1979). His role as Lt. Colonel “Bull” Meechum in The Great Santini (1979) brought him his third Academy Award nomination in 1981. In 1984, Duvall finally won a “Best Actor” Oscar for the film Tender Mercies (1983) after four nominations. During shooting, it is said that Duvall completely transformed himself into his character, Mac Sledge. The film’s director, Bruce Beresford, said, “Duvall has the ability to completely inhabit the person he’s acting.”
Duvall’s career continued to thrive after his Oscar win in 1984. His popular body of work from the ‘90s includes Falling Down (1992) and The Paper (1994). He also received two more Oscar nominations in 1998 and 1999 for the films The Apostle (1997) and A Civil Action (1998). In the 2000s, Duvall continued to carry on a prolific career with roles in television and film, winning an Emmy Award for his work on the AMC miniseries Broken Trail. In 2015, Duvall became the oldest person ever to receive an Oscar nomination for “Best Supporting Actor” in The Judge (2014), despite the film receiving mixed reviews from critics.
Duvall has gone from a struggling actor in New York City to a Hollywood legend. His work will stand for decades, and it is likely that he will continue to practice his craft until he is physically unable.
by Cameron McGough
A Film History Magazine 