On Air Now

The Chill Out Zone

10:00pm - Midnight

  • 01723 336444

Now Playing

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

Monday, 16 February 2026 23:05

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

Love living on the Yorkshire Coast? So do we.

This is the Coast is 100% locally owned and operated. We don’t rely on public funding or government grants—we rely on our community.

Producing trusted, fact-checked local news takes time and resources. If you value having a dedicated team of professional journalists fighting for our region, please consider supporting us.

Help keep the Yorkshire Coast informed for the price of a coffee a month.

Support Local Journalism Today

More from Top Stories

Follow Us

Get Our Apps

Our Apps are now available for iOS, Android and Smart Speakers.

  • Available on the App Store
  • Available on Google Play
  • Just ask Amazon Alexa
  • Available on Roku

Today's Weather

  • Scarborough

    Light rain shower

    High: 9°C | Low: 2°C

  • Filey

    Sunny intervals

    High: 9°C | Low: 2°C

  • Whitby

    Light rain

    High: 8°C | Low: 1°C

  • Bridlington

    Sunny intervals

    High: 9°C | Low: 2°C

  • Hornsea

    Sunny intervals

    High: 9°C | Low: 2°C

  • Driffield

    Light rain shower

    High: 9°C | Low: 2°C

News