Remembering Robert Duvall, Whose Acting Brilliance Colored in the Light and Dark Sides of Humanity

When you think of the great actors (Brando, Streep, De Niro, Ullmann, Day-Lewis), one of the first qualities that leaps to mind is range. Robert Duvall, who died Sunday at 95 and was most assuredly one of the great actors, had that quality to the nth degree. He was a sly-dog virtuoso whose roster of […] Home Film Columns Feb 16, 2026 2:29pm PT Remembering Robert Duvall, Whose Acting Brilliance Colored in the Light and Dark Sides of Humanity By Owen Gleiberman Plus Icon Owen Gleiberman Chief Film Critic @OwenGleiberman Latest ‘Joe’s College Road Trip’ Review: Tyler Perry Lets Out His Inner Bad Grandpa in a Hilariously Profane Buddy Comedy 5 hours ago The Epstein Files Have Become The Ultimate Disturbing Horror Movie. No Wonder We Can’t Look Away 1 day ago ‘Crime 101’ Review: Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo Lead a Tip-Top Cast in a Jewel-Heist Thriller More About Character Than Crime 5 days ago See All ©Columbia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection When you think of the great actors (Brando, Streep, De Niro, Ullmann, Day-Lewis), one of the first qualities that leaps to mind is range. Robert Duvall, who died Sunday at 95 and was most assuredly one of the great actors, had that quality to the nth degree. He was a sly-dog virtuoso whose roster of indelible characters included a broken-down country singer, a Mafia consigliere, a charismatic Pentecostal preacher, a psychotic Army commander, a corrupt TV news executive, a creepy neighbor who lives in the shadows, in addition to a whole bunch of cowboys and also Dwight D. Eisenhower and Joseph Stalin. Born in California and raised in Maryland, Duvall, as much or more than any actor of his time, had a deep identification with the world of the South. In one role after another, he used a drawl and a laidback cadence to portray men from that region — both charmers and killers, each subtly different from the next, chiseling each character with a jeweler’s precision. Related Stories 'Iron Lung' Film Review: Markiplier Probes Inner and Outer Space in Sleeper Video-Game Adaptation