Robert Duvall’s many co-stars, peers, and admirers — including Adam Sandler, and Viola Davis — are sharing tributes to the legendary actor following his death over the weekend at the age of 95.
Sandler, who worked with Duvall on the 2022 basketball film Hustle, remembered his co-star as “funny as hell,” “strong as hell,” and “one of the greatest actors we ever had.” He continued: “Such a great man to talk to and laugh with. Loved him so much. We all did. So many movies to choose from that were legendary. Watch them when you can. Sending his wife Luciana and all his family and friends our condolences.”
Davis, meanwhile, said it was an “honor” to work alongside Duvall in Steve McQueen’s 2018 heist thriller Widows. The actress said she was “in awe” of Duvall on set, and had “always been in awe of [his] towering portrayals of men who were both quiet and dominating in their humanness.”
She added: “You were a giant… an icon… Apocalypse Now, The Godfather, To Kill a Mockingbird, Tender Mercies, The Apostle, Lonesome Dove… etc… Greatness never dies. It stays… as a gift. Rest well, sir. Your name will be spoken… May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.”
Walton Goggins, who had a small part in one of the films Davis mentioned, 1997’s The Apostle, called Duvall “the greatest storyteller of all time.”
Sharing several photos from the set of The Apostle (which Duvall also wrote and directed), Goggins wrote, “The privilege of getting to work with this man, to know this man is still the most important experience of my life. He was my North Star, my hero. He knew it. He gave me permission, afforded me the privilege of never having to leave his side while we were working… we maintained a deep friendship for years after. He didn’t have to do that. But he did. He had that effect on a lot of people… but this was my story. I love you Bobby. Thank you for changing my life.”
Michael Keaton, who worked with Duvall on Ron Howard’s 1994 film The Paper, wrote on Instagram, “Another friend goes down. Acted with and became friends. Shared a great afternoon on my front porch talking about horses. He was greatness personified as an actor.”
And Marisa Tomei, who was also in The Paper, said Duvall was “the reason [she] became an actor,” specifically citing his performances in The Great Santini and Tender Mercies. “I was touched to my core by him,” she wrote. “Those two contrasting roles as well. Heart broken open by him. The greatest. A titan. Rest in peace.”
Filmmaker Scott Cooper, who directed Duvall in two movies, Crazy Heart and what would be the actor’s final film, 2022’s The Pale Blue Eye, remembered the actor as his “most important artistic mentor” in a statement shared with Variety.
“He was my fiercest supporter — not with grand gestures, but with honesty, rigor, and love for the work itself,” Cooper added. “His legacy as one of the true giants of acting is secure, but what I will carry with me most is his generosity, his humility, and the example he set of a life devoted entirely to truth. I would not be the filmmaker — or the man — I am without him.”
Jamie Lee Curtis remembered Duvall as “the greatest consigliere the screen has ever seen,” a nod to his performances in the Godfather films. And Jane Seymour — who appeared alongside Duvall in The Stars Fell on Henrietta — stated: “There are actors who perform, and there are actors who inhabit a role completely. Robert Duvall did the latter. His presence on screen carried honesty, weight, and grace.”
