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There are few actors who have worked with as many legendary directors on as many iconic films as Robert Duvall, whose celebrated career spanned nearly 70 years across film and television and showcased his phenomenal range. While his earliest credits came in TV series like The Defenders, Route 66, and Naked City, he broke out in a big way in his very first film role as Boo Radley in Robert Mulligan’s multiple Oscar-winning adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird in 1962.
Throughout the 1960s, Duvall would appear in films like Bullitt (briefly), True Grit, and M*A*S*H before starring in George Lucas’ debut THX 1138 in 1971. Just a year later, he would be immortalized as a key member of the ensemble in Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece The Godfather, earning the first of his seven Academy Award nominations. He later reprised his role as Corleone family lawyer and advisor Tom Hagen in the equally acclaimed The Godfather Part II, and then reunited with Coppola in 1979 for Apocalypse Now, which garnered him another Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actor.
It was Lewis John Carlin’s 1979 adaptation of the novel The Great Santini that would nab Duvall his first nomination for Best Actor, an award he would finally win in 1984 for his portrayal of an alcoholic country music star in Bruce Beresford’s Tender Mercies. He would earn another Best Actor nomination for 1997’s The Apostle, which he also wrote and directed, and two more for Best Supporting actor for A Civil Action in 1998 and The Judge in 2014.
Meanwhile, on the small screen, Duvall received Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Special for his work on the Western miniseries Lonesome Dove (1989) and the television films Stalin (1992) and The Man Who Captured Eichmann (1996), before ultimately winning the award for his work on Walter Hill’s miniseries Broken Trail in 2007.
Duvall remained prolific through the 2000s and 2010s, appearing in films as varied as the Gone in 60 Seconds remake, Kevin Costner’s Western Open Range, the holiday comedy Four Christmases, the apocalyptic drama The Road, and the Tom Cruise actioner Jack Reacher, among many others.
Considered one of Hollywood’s greatest actors, Robert Duvall imbued all of his roles with a certain humanity and down-to-earth grit, flitting from genre to genre with ease and elevating every project he joined, no matter how big or small the part. At 95 years old, Duvall passed away on February 16, 2026 at his Virginia ranch, leaving behind an unmatched legacy of stellar performances. To celebrate his life, we look back at all of Robert Duvall’s films ranked by Tomatometer, with Certified Fresh films listed first.
#1
Critics Consensus: One of Hollywood’s greatest critical and commercial successes, The Godfather gets everything right; not only did the movie transcend expectations, it established new benchmarks for American cinema.
#2
Critics Consensus: Drawing on strong performances by Al Pacino and Robert De Niro, Francis Ford Coppola’s continuation of Mario Puzo’s Mafia saga set new standards for sequels that have yet to be matched or broken.
#3
Critics Consensus: You will see what’s coming, but the masterful performances, especially Thornton’s, will leave you riveted.
#4
Critics Consensus: Hustle doesn’t have any fancy moves, but it doesn’t need them — Adam Sandler’s everyman charm makes this easy layup fun to watch.
#5
Critics Consensus: To Kill a Mockingbird is a textbook example of a message movie done right — sober-minded and earnest, but never letting its social conscience get in the way of gripping drama.
#6
Critics Consensus: Widows rounds up a stellar ensemble for a heist thriller that mixes popcorn entertainment with a message – and marks another artistic leap for director Steve McQueen.
#7
Critics Consensus: A voyage to hell where the journey is more satisfying than the destination, Francis Ford Coppola’s haunting, hallucinatory Vietnam War epic is cinema at its most audacious and visionary.
#8
Critics Consensus: Thanks to a captivating performance from Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart transcends its overly familiar origins and finds new meaning in an old story.
#9
Critics Consensus: Driven by populist fury and elevated by strong direction, powerful acting, and an intelligent script, Network‘s searing satire of ratings-driven news remains sadly relevant more than four decades later.
#10
Critics Consensus: A nuanced sermon on the contradictions of faith as well as a blistering showcase for its director and star, The Apostle will leave audiences evangelizing the immensity of Robert Duvall’s talent.
#11
Critics Consensus: True Grit rides along on the strength of a lived-in late-period John Wayne performance, adding its own entertaining spin to the oft-adapted source material.
#12
Critics Consensus: Loaded with delightfully unscrupulous characters and and a witty, cynical script, Thank You For Smoking is a sharp satire with a brilliantly smarmy lead performance from Aaron Eckhart.
#13
Critics Consensus: Bold, timely, subversive, and above all funny, M*A*S*H remains a high point in Robert Altman’s distinguished filmography.
#14
Critics Consensus: Subtle to a fault, this perfectly cast ensemble drama is lifted by typically sharp performances from Robert Duvall and Bill Murray.
#15
Critics Consensus: George Lucas’ feature debut presents a spare, bleak, dystopian future, and features evocatively minimal set design and creepy sound effects.
#16
Critics Consensus: Though heavy with sentiment, The Natural is an irresistible classic, and a sincere testament to America’s national pastime.
#17
Critics Consensus: Greatly benefiting from the tremendous chemistry between Kevin Costner and Robert Duvall, Open Range is a sturdy modern Western with classic roots.
#18
Critics Consensus: Falling Down‘s popcorn-friendly take on its complex themes proves disquieting — and ultimately fitting for a bleakly entertaining picture of one man’s angry break with reality.
#19
Critics Consensus: The Road‘s commitment to Cormac McCarthy’s dark vision may prove too unyielding for some, but the film benefits from hauntingly powerful performances from Viggo Mortensen and Kodi McPhee.
#20
Critics Consensus: A touching. bittersweet, and wonderfully-acted film.
#21
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#22
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#23
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#24
Critics Consensus: Fast and frenetic, The Paper captures the energy of the newsroom thanks to its cast and director on first-rate form.
#25
Critics Consensus: Anchored by a deftly understated performance from Robert Duvall, Tender Mercies is a quiet character study that leaves a lasting emotional impact.
#26
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#27
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#28
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#29
Critics Consensus: Colors takes a hard-hitting yet nuanced look at urban gang violence, further elevated by strong performances from a pair of well-matched leads.
#30
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#31
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#32
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#33
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#34
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#35
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#36
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#37
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#38
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#39
Critics Consensus: Intelligent and unconventional.
#40
Critics Consensus: Jack Reacher is an above-average crime thriller with a smoothly charismatic performance from Tom Cruise.
#41
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#42
Critics Consensus: The Pale Blue Eye lacks its source material’s piercing gaze, but this well-cast mystery is just intriguing enough to investigate.
#43
Critics Consensus: 12 Mighty Orphans will rouse faithful fans of old-fashioned inspirational sports dramas, but the target audience has seen this sort of thing done more effectively before.
#44
Critics Consensus: A wholesome but schmaltzy movie.
#45
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#46
Critics Consensus: Predictable but moving, Wrestling Ernest Hemingway is an understated and melancholic drama that gets plenty of mileage out of an outstanding cast that includes Robert Duvall, Richard Harris, Shirley MacLaine, and Sandra Bullock.
#47
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#48
Critics Consensus: Bland characters, clichéd dialogue and rickety plotting ensure We Own The Night never lives up to its potential.
#49
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#50
Critics Consensus: Geronimo: An American Legend fails to stir the soul, though its sweeping visuals and historical ambitions mark an intelligent change of pace for director Walter Hill.
#51
Critics Consensus: Solidly cast and beautifully filmed but thoroughly clichéd, The Judge seems destined to preside over a large jurisdiction of the basic cable afternoon-viewing circuit.
#52
Critics Consensus: Slow to start, this quirky film eventually overstays its welcome.
#53
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#54
Critics Consensus: A tidal wave of melodrama sinks Deep Impact‘s chance at being the memorable disaster flick it aspires to be.
#55
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#56
Critics Consensus: The script is mediocre and fails to give Ferrell a proper comedic showcase.
#57
Critics Consensus: This offering from Arnold Schwarzenegger contains an intriguing, disturbing premise, but the film’s execution is too routine and formulaic to make good use of it.
#58
Critics Consensus: Extra! Extra! Read all about Newsies instead of suffering through its underwhelming musical interludes, although Christian Bale makes for a spirited hero.
#59
Critics Consensus: Days of Thunder has Tom Cruise and plenty of flash going for it, but they aren’t enough to compensate for the stock plot, two-dimensional characters, and poorly written dialogue.
#60
Critics Consensus: A Night in Old Mexico gives Robert Duvall a too-rare starring showcase — then frustratingly wastes it on a contrived story that’s often unworthy of his talents.
#61
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#62
Critics Consensus: Jayne Mansfield’s Car assembles an impressive number of talented actors, but the screenplay — co-written by director and star Billy Bob Thornton — never gives them much of anything to do.
#63
Critics Consensus: Small-town gossip and a battle of the sexes should really add up to more than Something to Talk About, especially with this much talent before the camera.
#64
Critics Consensus: Lucky You tries to combine a romantic story with the high-stakes world of poker, but comes up with an empty hand.
#65
Critics Consensus: Washington’s performance rises above the material, but John Q pounds the audience over the head with its message.
#66
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#67
Critics Consensus: Despite a strong cast, this sour holiday comedy suffers from a hackneyed script.
#68
Critics Consensus: Even though Oscar-bearers Nicolas Cage, Angelina Jolie, and Robert Duval came aboard for this project, the quality of Gone in 60 Seconds is disappointingly low. The plot line is nonsensical, and even the promised car-chase scenes are boring.
#69
Critics Consensus: Seven Days in Utopia finds a noteworthy cast struggling to engage with lackadaisical drama, overwrought themes, and a predictably staged narrative.
#70
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#71
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#72
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#73
Critics Consensus: The Scarlet Letter strays far from its classic source material to tell a story that strains for steamy sensuality and leaves the audience red with unintentional laughter.
#74
Critics Consensus: Filled with two-dimensional characters and pompous self-righteousness, Gods and Generals is a long, tedious sit. Some may also take offense at the pro-Confederate slant.
