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A man who can speak a thousand words with one glance has to be on the top of almost anyone's list of favorite actors- Robert Duvall.

Duvall's greatest accomplishment in his career in my opinion is the move The Apostle, which Duvall wrote, acted and directed. Playing The Apostle E.F., a forlorn and second-guessing southern preacher, the movie was widely acclaimed and Duvall was nominated for an Oscar his honest performance. To watch Duvall on screen is similar to watching your neighbor across the street. Every motion, grimace or turn of the hand seems natural and unforced. The Apostle was Duvall's Sling Blade, a singular triumph of one man's creative vision. Duvall's character of E.F., along with those that surround him, are full of human flaws and beauty. The fight between man and his ego, a typical Southern theme in film and literature is portrayed with sincere believability.

Another unforgettable Duvall role is his portrayal of Augustus 'Gus' McCrae in the television mini-series Lonesome Dove. A masterpiece, the multi-hour movie was based on a book by Larry McMurty and wonderfully crafted. Duvall and Tommy Lee Jones led the story as two former U.S. Marshalls heading a load of cattle to Montana. But this was not your typical western. Along the way the pot turns and twists of the story gave Duvall the chance to make us laugh, smile, cheer and cry our hearts out.

"I love the smell of napalm in the morning!". Who could forget this classic line Duvall shouted with aplomb in 1979's Apocalypse Now? Duvall wonderfully played the surfboarding Lt. Colonel Bill Killgore with gusty bravado and an almost frightening sense of patriotic immorality. Duvall only appears in a few scenes in the film, but left a never-ending impression.

And lest we forget, Duvall's subtle portrayal of Tom Hagen in the Godfather I and The Godfather II. Duvall gave a wonderfully quiet and stoic performance which balanced the over-the-top Corleone family portrayal of crime, love and greed. As the Irish adoptee to a Sicilian mob family, Duvall's quiet performance allowed the other actors, most notably Al Pacino as Michael Corleone, to tear through scenery and blow with emotion. Without the balance of Duvall's quiet dignity, the movie would have suffered tremendously. Two classic movies and one classic character.

It's a hard task in these days and times to make a movie that doesn't involve shoot 'em up car chases, explosions or tawdry love triangles, but Duvall has managed to avoid these pitfalls during his career and left us all the richer for it.

Learn more about this author, Heather Harris.
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