Robert Duvall Is Dead at 95

Robert Duvall, one of Hollywood's most acclaimed and versatile actors, has died at 95, reports NBC News. "Chameleonlike" is adjective of choice for the New York Times. Duvall's family said he did not want a formal service and instead encouraged fans to honor him by "watching a great film, telling a good story around a table with friends, or taking a drive in the countryside to appreciate the world's beauty." The actor died Sunday at his home in Middleburg, Virginia, with his wife, Luciana Pedraza, at his side, his family said in a statement.

Duvall earned seven Oscar nominations and won best actor for 1983's Tender Mercies, playing an aging, alcoholic country singer in a quiet performance that showcased his understated style. Earlier, he'd made a haunting film debut as Boo Radley in 1962's To Kill a Mockingbird, then steadily built a reputation across the 1960s before breaking through in the 1970s "New Hollywood" era. He was Tom Hagen, the cool, calculating consigliere in The Godfather films; the rigid Major Frank Burns in M*A*S*H; the cavalry officer who loved surfing and war in Apocalypse Now; and the lead in George Lucas' dystopian THX 1138.

Beyond those touchstone roles, Duvall worked constantly across genres and decades: The Great Santini, The Natural, Colors, Lonesome Dove, Falling Down, A Civil Action, Open Range, Get Low, Crazy Heart, The Judge, and Widows are among his many credits via IMDB. He also wrote, directed, and financed the acclaimed 1997 drama The Apostle, one of four features he directed. Born in 1931 to a Navy admiral and an amateur actress, Duvall grew up on military bases, served in the Army during the Korean War, and studied acting in New York alongside Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman. Over time, he became known as much for his work ethic and range as for any single iconic line, even the one he said fans never stopped repeating: "I love the smell of napalm in the morning."