On Air Now

Tuesday Breakfast

7:00am - 10:00am

Now Playing

Nickelback

Photograph (Edit)

Hollywood legend Robert Duvall, star of Apocalypse Now and The Godfather star, dies aged 95

Tuesday, 17 February 2026 02:08

By Gemma Peplow, culture and entertainment reporter

Hollywood icon Robert Duvall, star of films including The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, has died at the age of 95.

The Oscar-winning actor and filmmaker died peacefully at home on Sunday, his wife Luciana said, in a statement paying tribute.

"Yesterday we said goodbye to my beloved husband, cherished friend, and one of the greatest actors of our time," she said, adding that he "passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by love and comfort".

"To the world, he was an Academy Award-winning actor, a director, a storyteller. 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 said.

"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. 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."

More tributes to Duvalll - including Al Pacino

From army man to leading man

Duvall grew up in Annapolis, Maryland, the son of a Navy admiral and an amateur actress.

After graduating from Principia College in ​Illinois and serving in the US Army, he moved to New York - where he lived with Dustin Hoffman and befriended Gene Hackman when the three were struggling acting students.

He appeared in various Broadway and off-Broadway plays, including productions of Arthur Miller's The Crucible and A View From The Bridge, and had TV roles before making his big screen debut in the 1963 adaptation of To Kill A Mockingbird, playing Arthur "Boo" Radley.

During his prolific career on screen, Duvall created a range of unforgettable characters that made him one of Hollywood's greats.

'One of the best in the world'

He earned his first Oscar nomination in the best supporting actor category for playing Mafia consigliere Tom Hagen in 1972's The Godfather - a role he reprised in The Godfather Part II.

In 1979, he was nominated in the supporting category once again, this time for his scene-stealing performance as Lieutenant Colonel Bill Kilgore in 1979's Apocalypse Now.

Filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola, who directed both films, once described him as being "one of the four or five best actors in the world" in an interview with People Magazine.

Duvall received seven Academy Award nominations in total - taking home the statuette for best actor in 1984 for Tender Mercies, in which he played a country music star recovering from alcoholism - and was also nominated for eight Golden Globe awards.

Read more from Sky News:
Derry Girls creator talks about her new show
Chadwick Boseman's brothers on late star's play

Some of his other notable films include The Natural (1984), Colors (1988), Days Of Thunder (1990), Deep Impact (1998) and A Civil Action (1998), Gone In 60 Seconds (2000), Gods And Generals (2003), We Own the Night (2007) and The Judge (2014), as well as The Apostle in 1997, which he directed, wrote and starred in.

Sky News

(c) Sky News 2026: Hollywood legend Robert Duvall, star of Apocalypse Now and The Godfather star, dies aged 95

Donate to Roch Valley Radio

 

Do you have a story for us? Want to tell us about something happening in our Borough?

Let us know by emailing newsdesk@rochvalleyradio.com

All contact will be treated in confidence.

More from Videos

Donate to Roch Valley Radio

 

Recently Played

Newsletter

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter and stay updated.

   

Coming up next On Air

  • Tuesday Breakfast

    7:00am - 10:00am

    getting you out of bed and to work and school with great music and headlines.

  • The Sean Show

    10:00am - Noon

    Sean Cummiskey brings you the The Sensational Spectacular Sctillating Supersonic Sean Show! Or for ease The Sean Show! Top music and musings with “Great Number 2’s” and the home of tenuous links to songs from the news and “on this day!”.

  • Phil Salter

    Noon - 2:00pm

  • The Mood Swing Shift

    2:00pm - 3:00pm

    with Jainy Smith , straight-talking perimenopause & menopause chat... The stuff we actually go through (no fluff, no shame, no whispering)

  • Tuesday Drivetime

    3:00pm - 6:00pm

    getting you home on your favourite Drivetime station.

  • Trending Tuesdays

    6:00pm - 7:00pm

    with Charlotte and Lauren