Robert Duvall shared a sweet message with his fans just months before his death on Sunday at 95.
“To all my fans, have a happy happy Thanksgiving and a great year coming up,” the “Godfather” star said in a Facebook clip from November. “God bless.”
Luciana Duvall, the “Apocalypse Now” star’s wife of over 20 years, confirmed that the Hollywood legend died on Sunday.
“Yesterday we said goodbye to my beloved husband, cherished friend, and one of the greatest actors of our time,” she wrote on Facebook Monday, adding that the “Judge” actor “passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by love and comfort.”
“To the world, he was an Academy Award-winning actor, a director, a storyteller,” Luciana continued. “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.”
Luciana went on to say that the beloved acting icon “gave everything to his characters and to the truth of the human spirit they represented” in his many acting roles.
“In doing so, he leaves something lasting and unforgettable to us all,” she said. “Thank you for the years of support you showed Bob and for giving us this time and privacy to celebrate the memories he leaves behind.”
Luciana’s tribute also included a photo of the couple posing together on their Virginia ranch with their horse and two pups.
Duvall’s final social media post, meanwhile, was a Facebook message on Feb. 3 about his 2003 flick “Secondhand Lions” with Haley Joel Osment and Michael Caine.
“One day while filming Secondhand Lions, the lion got out,” Duvall joked just days before his passing. “Had he turned in my direction, I wouldn’t be here today!”
The Oscar winner then gushed about his co-stars and the comedy-drama’s director, Tim McCanlies.
“I absolutely enjoyed working on this film with director Tim McCanlies and actors Haley Joel Osment and Michael Caine,” he wrote alongside a clip from “Secondhand Lions.”
One month earlier, a day before his milestone birthday, Duvall shared another sweet clip that included pics from his childhood as well as more recent footage.
The touching video was put together by his wife and included the text: “95” and “A Mighty Ride.”
“Luciana surprised me with this wonderful birthday video in preparation for tomorrow’s big 95!” he captioned the sweet birthday clip. “Thank you all for the support all of these years.”
Born on January 5, 1931, in San Diego, Calif., Duvall’s first big movie role was as Boo Radley in the 1962 film adaptation of “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
He scored his first Oscar nod after starring as Tom Hagen in “The Godfather” in 1972, and reunited with director Francis Ford Coppola for “The Godfather Part II” in 1974 and “Apocalypse Now” in 1979.
But it wasn’t until “Tender Mercies” in 1983, which Duvall starred in with Tess Harper, Betty Buckley and Ellen Barkin, that the acting legend earned his first and only Oscar for Best Actor.
“In keeping with Duvall’s wishes, no formal service will be held,” Duvall’s loved ones wrote his obituary.
They added, “Instead, the family encourages those who wish to honor his memory to do so in a way that reflects the life he lived 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.”
Read the full article here
