Actor Robert Duvall, who starred in The Godfather, dies aged 95

The Oscar winner for Tender Mercies died “peacefully” at his home in Middleburg, Virginia, on Sunday, according to a statement sent by his PR agency on behalf of his wife, Luciana.

“To the world, he was an Academy Award-winning actor, a director, a storyteller. To me, he was simply everything,” she said. “His passion for his craft was matched only by his deep love for characters, a great meal, and holding court.”

Godfather star Al Pacino paid tribute, saying it was an “honour” to work with Duvall.

He added: “He was a born actor as they say, his connection with it, his understanding and his phenomenal gift will always be remembered.

“I will miss him.”

Duvall was known for numerous tough-guy roles over an impressive six-decade career, such as the mafia consigliere in Francis Ford Coppola‘s The Godfather and The Godfather Part II.

He also played a forceful army officer in Coppola’s Vietnam epic Apocalypse Now.

He only had a few minutes of screen time but his famous line in the 1979 classic, “I love the smell of napalm in the morning”, became legendary.

Coppola called his loss “a blow”.

“Such a great actor and such an essential part of American Zoetrope from its beginning,” Coppola said in a statement on Instagram, referring to his production company.

His Apocalypse Now character was originally meant to be even more over the top but Duvall toned it down and the name was changed from Captain Carnage to Lieutenant Colonel William Kilgore.

“I did my homework,” Duvall told veteran talk show host Larry King in 2015. “I did my research.”