Robert Duvall Dies At Home In VA: 'One Of The Greatest Actors Of Our Time'

MIDDLEBURG, VA — Oscar-winning actor Robert Duvall died Sunday, his wife announced Monday. He was 95.

Duvall died at his home in Middleburg, according to an announcement from his publicist and a statement posted on his Facebook page by his wife, Luciana Duvall.

"Yesterday we said goodbye to my beloved husband, cherished friend, and one of the greatest actors of our time," Luciana Duvall said in the statement. "Bob passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by love and comfort."

For nearly 65 years, Duvall has been a star since his breakout role as Boo Radley in the 1962 movie "To Kill A Mockingbird." He won a best actor Oscar in 1983 for his role in "Tender Mercies" and was known for bringing gravitas to small roles in big films such as "Apocalypse Now," in which he uttered the unforgettable, "I love the smell of napalm in the morning."

Duvall had long lived on a horse farm in Virginia's Fauquier County, according to The Washington Post, about an hour outside Washington.

"To the world, he was an Academy Award-winning actor, a director, a storyteller," his wife said in the statement. "To me, he was simply everything. His passion for his craft was matched only by his deep love for characters, a great meal, and holding court. For each of his many roles, Bob gave everything to his characters and to the truth of the human spirit they represented. In doing so, he leaves something lasting and unforgettable to us all."

Duvall was a rare star who embraced supporting roles, from standout performances in some of the most acclaimed films of all time to scene-stealing turns in heartfelt indie movies. His icy, calm-headed portrayal of the Corleone family consigliere in “The Godfather” was genre-defining. In 2009’s “Crazy Heart,” he anchored Jeff Bridge’s performance as an alcoholic and soulful songwriter with his own as a recovering alcoholic barkeep so naturally that the contradiction of his character is the movie’s grounding force.

In addition to his 1984 Oscar win for "Tender Mercies," he received six Academy Award nominations. In 1998, he was nominated for best actor in "The Apostle," a drama about a wayward Southern evangelist he wrote, directed, starred in, produced and largely financed. In 2005, he was awarded a National Medal of Arts.

Robert Selden Duvall grew up in the Navy towns of Annapolis and the San Diego area, where he was born in 1931. He spent time in other cities as his father, who rose to be an admiral, was assigned to various duties.

Duvall reportedly used his Navy officer father as the basis for his portrayal of the explosive militarist in "The Great Santini,” based on the Pat Conroy novel. He commented in 2003: "My dad was a gentleman but a seether, a stern, blustery guy, and away a lot of the time."

Duvall took after his mother, an amateur actress, in playing a guitar and performing. He was a wrestler like his father and enjoyed besting kids older than himself.

He lacked the concentration for schoolwork and nearly flunked out of Principia College in Elsah, Illinois. His despairing parents decided he needed something to keep him in college so he wouldn't be drafted for the Korean War. "They recommended acting as an expedient thing to get through," he recalled. "I'm glad they did." He flourished in drama classes.

After two years in the Army, he used the G.I. Bill to finance his studies at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York, hanging out with such other young hopefuls as Robert Morse, Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman. After a one-night performance in "A View From the Bridge," Duvall began getting offers for work in TV series, among them "The Naked City" and "The Defenders."

Between his high-paying jobs in major productions, Duvall devoted himself to directing personal projects over the years, including "Assassination Tango," in which he also starred.

His co-star was Luciana Pedraza, 42 years his junior, whom he married in 2005. Duvall's three previous marriages — to Barbara Benjamin, Gail Youngs and Sharon Brophy — ended in divorce.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.