**Robert Duvall** (San Diego, 1931) is an American actor, one of the most acclaimed and versatile of his generation, renowned for his extraordinary intensity and transformative ability.

His film career is studded with iconic roles. After his early career, he gained widespread recognition as lawyer Tom Hagen in Francis Ford Coppola's *The Godfather* (1972), a role he reprised in the sequel. He then cemented his place in collective memory as Colonel Bill Kilgore in *Apocalypse Now* (1979), famous for the line "I love the smell of napalm in the morning."

Awarded the Oscar for Best Actor for his poignant performance in *Tender Mercies* (1983), Duvall continued to excel. His most memorable performances also include those in *The Great Santini* (1979), the miniseries *Lonesome Dove* (1989), and *The Apostle* (1997), a film he wrote, directed, and starred in.

Duvall is known for his ability to portray complex and often ambiguous characters: military men, lawyers, Southern men, authoritative or marginalized figures, always with a unique authenticity and screen presence that make him a true chameleon of cinema.