Robert Duvall’s 5 Greatest Roles

Robert Duvall, one of the greatest actors in Hollywood history, has passed away at 95. Excelling at any genre from tense dramas to witty comedies, Duvall’s six-decade career boasted nearly countless roles across film and television. He firmly inhabited any role he encountered, allowing him to excel at embodying complex figures. Duvall brought an air of class and poise to each, a skillset that propelled his exceptional versatility as a performer. Duvall was moving as elder sobriety ally Wayne Kramer in Crazy Heart. He emotionally grounded the center role in George Lucas’ debut THX 1138, and was unnervingly slick as a corporation’s brilliant lawyer in A Civil Action. He gave young Christian Bale something to revolt about as news magnate Joseph Pulitzer in Disney’s most unique musical, Newsies.

Duvall also graced our TV screens, most frequently in his early career, in memorable episodes of series including Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Twilight Zone, The Outer Limits, The F.B.I., and others. It’s hard to choose his five best roles in a career with myriad favorites (and without any bad outings). Nonetheless, his career is worth celebrating. Here’s our best approximation of the distinguished Robert Duvall’s five best roles, spanning from war comedies to war psychological thrillers, religious dramas to a pair of the best films of all time. 

5. Frank Burns, M*A*S*H (dir: Robert Altman, 1970) 

Robert Altman is one of the most unique world-class directors in Hollywood history, showcasing mastery of the ensemble and a fantastic command across multiple genres. He tackled the sprawling musical dramedy Nashville, the neo-Western McCabe & Mrs. Miller, and the incredible Hollywood satire The Player with equal aplomb. His first Oscar nomination for Best Director came for the war satire M*A*S*H (the film, not the series it spawned), where Duvall played the incompetent and religious antagonist Major Frank Burns. At odds with the rest of his unit and easily provoked, Duvall gave Burns perfect straight man energy and aggression that set the stage for the film’s best jokes.

4. Sonny Dewey, The Apostle (dir: Robert Duvall, 1997)

While Duvall was best known as a performer, he also took a few turns in the director’s chair. His second, The Apostle, was his best-directed. It also happened to provide one of the finest roles of his career. Duvall plays Euliss “Sonny” Dewey, a Pentecostal preacher whose wife Jessie (Farrah Fawcett) takes everything from him. She cheats on him with a youth pastor named Horace and removes him from leadership at his congregation, and Sonny’s inquiries to God are met with silence. In a drunken rage, he attacks Horace and puts him in a coma. Of course, he goes on the run. It’s a role full of mourning, rage, and existential questioning, showcasing the range of Duvall’s considerable talents and building towards a strong finale. If you want to celebrate the full breadth of Duvall’s capabilities, it’s a fantastic place to start.

3. Mac Sledge, Tender Mercies (dir: Bruce Beresford, 1983)

Duvall received a hefty seven Academy Award nominations, but his first and only win came as alcoholic ex-country music singer Mac Sledge in Bruce Beresford’s drama Tender Mercies. It’s an emotional role, as Mac tries to pick himself up amidst his growing relationship with young widow Rosa Lee (Tess Harper). It’s an exceptional film, nominated for five Oscars and full of moving character arcs and memorable lines (its only other Oscar win was appropriately enough for Best Screenplay Written Directly For The Screen). What really lands the film is Duvall’s performance, adding pathos and true vulnerability that fuel complex sadness to Mac’s journey. It may not be his most brash outing, but it’s a tremendous one.

2. Tom Hagen, The Godfather Parts I and II (dir: Francis Ford Coppola, 1972, 1974)

My first exposure to Duvall was as consigliere Tom Hagen in The Godfather, a role he continued for its sequel. Hagen served an interesting position within the Corleone family, who isn’t a family member but may as well be after befriending Sonny (James Caan) since they were boys (with Tom being an orphan). Tom isn’t Italian and was never formally adopted, so he’s never fully integrated into the family, but he’s treated as a son and trusted as a brother. Tom’s frequently the voice of caution and reason in the family versus the hotheaded Sonny, and Duvall provides the role with a measured grace that’s frequently challenged as the family moves towards war. It’s a spectacular role, and one of his best.

1. Col. Kilgore, Apocalypse Now (dir: Francis Ford Coppola, 1979)

Beyond a doubt, Apocalypse Now is one of the most tense and harrowing Vietnam War films in film history… and that’s saying a lot. When Captain Ben Willard (Martin Sheen) is escorted by 1st Calvary Division leader Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore (Duvall), it quickly becomes transparent that Kilgore (what a name!) is enjoying the Vietnam War far too much. In one of the film’s most famous (and quoted) scenes, Kilgore phones in a napalm strike across the river. A local Vietnamese woman hands him a seemingly wounded child, who he exits, but it doesn’t give him pause in enjoying the sight of fire dropping down on human bodies. After the drop, he casually comments, “I love the smell of napalm in the morning,” tells a small story, then concludes, “smells like victory.” His complete apathy about the vicious destruction he’s causing is unforgettable, Duvall cementing one of the most memorable scenes in a movie full of them. It’s an all-timer.