The news of his death was shared on Facebook by his wife, Luciana Duvall.
She wrote, "Yesterday we said goodbye to my beloved husband, cherished friend, and one of the greatest actors of our time. Bob passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by love and comfort. To the world, he was an Academy Award-winning actor, a director, and a storyteller. To me, he was simply everything."
She went on to say, "His love for his work was matched by his love for characters, great food, and being the center of attention.
For every role he played, 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 for all of us. Thank you for your support over the years and for giving us this time and privacy to celebrate the memories he leaves behind."
Duvall's rough, natural style of acting became the standard for a generation that included Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, and Gene Hackman.
He acted in movies like *Network* and *The Apostle*, which he also directed.
Even though he wasn't as famous as De Niro, his ability to truly become the characters he played earned him admiration from both his fellow actors and critics.
Francis Ford Coppola once said, "At a certain point, it's hard to tell the difference between leading men and great character actors."
He was an actor who was respected by other actors.
He received seven Oscar nominations and also shone in TV shows like *Lonesome Dove* and *Broken Trail*, earning five Emmy nominations and winning two.
His first big movie role was as the scary Boo Radley in *To Kill a Mockingbird* in 1962.
Although his career had some challenges at first, by the early to mid-1970s, he was really finding his footing, combining strong character acting with some bigger roles.
In 1969, he worked with a young director, Francis Ford Coppola, on the small film *The Rain People*.
The next year, he had a major role as Frank Burns in Robert Altman's *MASH*. He also appeared in George Lucas's experimental movie *THX 1138*. He was also doing interesting work on stage.
The movie that really made him famous was *The Godfather* in 1972, where he played the patient and clever Tom Hagen.
That role earned him his first Oscar nomination. He returned as Hagen in *The Godfather: Part II* in 1974. He also acted in Coppola's *The Conversation* and played Dr. Watson in Herbert Ross's *The Seven-Per-Cent Solution*.
In 1976, he played a cruel TV boss in *Network*, and three years later, as Colonel Kilgore, he said the famous line, "I love the smell of napalm in the morning," in *Apocalypse Now*.
That earned him a second Oscar nomination.
In 1977, he and Ulu Grosbard brought David Mamet's *American Buffalo* to Broadway, which had mixed reviews.
That same year, he made a documentary called *We're Not Jet Set*. In the early 1980s, he directed the small but finely made film *Angelo, My Love*.
It wasn't until *The Great Santini* in 1980 that he became a leading man on film.
He played a loud, tough father, which earned him his first Oscar nomination as best actor. The next year, he won praise at the Venice Film Festival opposite Robert De Niro in *True Confessions*.
Then, in 1984, his quiet and detailed performance in *Tender Mercies*, written by Horton Foote and directed by Bruce Beresford, brought him the Oscar for best actor.
