# RIP Robert Duvall **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** celebrity-death\ **Created:** [February 16, 2026, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-robert-duvall/1027721 "2026-02-16T18:24:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-robert-duvall/1027721/21 "2026-02-16T20:35:21Z")
One of the greats. RIP, Great Santini. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-robert-duvall/1027721/22 "2026-02-16T20:57:42Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Wow. I had not placed him quite that much older than me. “The older the violin, the sweeter the music.” –Augustus McCrae ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-robert-duvall/1027721/23 "2026-02-16T21:22:02Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > His life. It smells like victory. Someday this life’s gonna end. _He reflects on this for a moment and frowns. Then he gets up and walks away._ ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-robert-duvall/1027721/24 "2026-02-16T21:23:58Z")
> [@Red\_Wiggler](#): > > I’ll always identify him as Gus McCray in _Lonesome Dove._ That was his seminal role for me. I don’t think anyone else could have carried that off half as well. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-robert-duvall/1027721/25 "2026-02-16T21:47:48Z")
I kind of love him tearing into Stanley Kubrick. He called Kubrick an enemy of actors because of his ridiculous amount of takes, which sometimes reach a point there is no way Kubrick could benefit much from them. When I first heard that, I thought he must have been related to Shelley Duvall, but they were not related. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-robert-duvall/1027721/26 "2026-02-16T22:53:26Z")
Unbelievable career. And a nice long life he had. Hollywood would not have been the same without him, and will not be the same without him. Rest in peace. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-robert-duvall/1027721/27 "2026-02-16T23:26:56Z")
He was a great actor. I knew him best from Apocalypse Now and the Godfather series and he crushed both parts Sad to see another legend pass. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-robert-duvall/1027721/28 "2026-02-16T23:39:24Z")
> [@Red\_Wiggler](#): > > Fifty-eight(!) years ago he was the cab driver in _Bullitt_ who helped Steve McQueen find the bad guy just before other bad guys found him, leading to the infamous chase through the streets of San Francisco. > > I’ll always identify him as Gus McCray in _Lonesome Dove._ Amazing career. Amen to both of these. _“He put in a lot of change.”_ But for me, **Tender Mercies** was his masterpiece. ---
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-robert-duvall/1027721/29 "2026-02-17T01:49:01Z")
This is the kind of thing that happens when you buy a used lion. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-robert-duvall/1027721/30 "2026-02-17T02:01:50Z")
RIP. I’ll put in a good word for his late-career performance as a mysterious grizzled hermit in **Get Low**. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-robert-duvall/1027721/31 "2026-02-17T02:15:36Z")
I can’t think of a movie of his I didn’t either like or love. _Open Range_ is one of my “comfort” movies to put in when I am sick and need, well, comfort. RIP Boss Spearman. One can only aspire to leave a legacy a fraction of what you left behind. 😭 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-robert-duvall/1027721/32 "2026-02-17T02:42:18Z")
Don’t think he ever had a real dud (at least in his acting, some of the movies overall, maybe), but the scene that sticks to me to this day is this speech from the movie “Secondhand Lions”. [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/V-5dpW--6Bw](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/V-5dpW--6Bw) ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-robert-duvall/1027721/33 "2026-02-17T05:43:36Z")
Rubbin’ is racing. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-robert-duvall/1027721/34 "2026-02-17T07:48:20Z")
> [@zbuzz](#): > > Rubbin’ is racing. Oh yeah I forgot he was in that one. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Burden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/958977/32.png) [@Jack\_Burden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Burden)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-robert-duvall/1027721/35 "2026-02-17T07:49:57Z")
Sad news indeed, almost a year to the day after his close friend Gene Hackman, two actors who were among the very best of their generation but never seemed to get that superstar top billing. Also two men that both served in the Army and throughout their long careers in the spotlight never had major public disgraces. Just pure quality and great love of their craft. Can’t remember a role I didn’t thoroughly enjoy Duvall in; as much of a prick as Frank Burns was in MASH, that just showed off Duvall’s acting chops. Truly one of the greats. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats2)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-robert-duvall/1027721/36 "2026-02-17T15:53:13Z")
Another lesser known performance, Duvall played Lucky Ned Pepper in the original _True Grit_. It was a small part, but he added some kindness layers to a standard bad guy by giving Cogburn extra time to get away for Matty’s sake. Of course, that just gave Cogburn the chance to confront him in the final showdown, but it’s the thought that counts. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-robert-duvall/1027721/37 "2026-02-17T16:17:08Z")
RIP to a great actor. This sketch popped up for me today but I had never seen it before. Duvall had some comedic chops. > **[Reddit - Prove your humanity](https://www.reddit.com/r/LiveFromNewYork/comments/1j0plnt/whos_more_grizzled_with_robert_duvall_garth/)** ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2026, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-robert-duvall/1027721/38 "2026-02-17T23:49:10Z")
He was one of the few that were a true bridge between old style acting and the modern more realistic style. In his early TV roles he shined as something truly different compared to those around him. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-robert-duvall/1027721/39 "2026-02-18T13:39:10Z")
And delivered the sickest burn ever inflicted on a John Wayne character. “I call that bold talk from a one-eyed fat man!” ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-robert-duvall/1027721/40 "2026-02-18T13:56:52Z")
Yeah, but what happened next? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-robert-duvall/1027721.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-robert-duvall/1027721.md?page=3)