The Brilliance of Robert Duvall

I was sorry to hear of the passing of Robert Duvall today at 95. I had not followed his career. I did not see him in the Godfather or True Grit. I didn't know who he was in To Kill a Mockingbird. I don't remember that much about Boo Radley, but I'd like to see it again, now that I know who was playing him. I saw him in only four films, not counting To Kill a Mockingbird; The Great Santini, Tender Mercies, The Apostle and Secondhand Lions. I have been completely amazed by his brilliance, how he was not the same person in all his roles. He was completely convincing in all his roles. I am no expert on films or acting and least of all on Robert Duvall himself. All I know is his characters were real and powerful and completely different from each other. Of course, he played in a lot more films that I did not see. I would like to see some more of them, but I was in love with him from the very beginning. Whenever anyone I love dies, I take comfort in knowing they made their peace with God if there's evidence that they did and wonder whether they did if there wasn't any evidence that they did. I read an article in Guideposts online, where Duvall speaks about his faith. It was about how he came to write the story that became the film, The Apostle, which I loved. The article, if you are interested, was entitled "Guidepost Classics: Robert Duvall on Faith and Inspiration" and based on an interview from April 1998. From watching the film and reading the article, I think there is quite a lot of evidence that he had a genuine experience with God and Jesus. And that makes me glad. Speaking of The Apostle, there is also a very powerful scene where Billy Bob Thornton's character gets saved. That is another wonderful part about that film. I think there are a lot of famous people who may be Christians but just don't tell everyone. I bet a lot of people would say about these people they aren't really Christians, they were just acting a part. That could be true, but I still have hope that Duvall and Thornton are people of faith. Their relationship with God is their business, but they have portrayed the faith in a positive way, a real way, and I appreciate that. From what I have seen about Duvall today, one of his passions was studying the characters he played, and the evidence of that is in how real he made those characters. I never got the feeling he was just acting a part, I felt like he became that other person. The person he was in Santini, Tender Mercies, The Apostle and Secondhand Lions was distinctively different in each role, and each role had a powerful impact on me as a member of his audience. I remember seeing something about him recently online, and realizing how old he was, and preparing myself for this day. So, I was not completely shocked to read the news. Saddened, but not taken by surprise. So, all I really have to say about him is I love him and I think he was the best actor in Hollywood during my lifetime. I can't think of any other actor that has come close to his authenticity and his powerful portrayal of the characters he played. Whenever a beloved celebrity dies, it is natural to want to see how much you can see that they did, realizing that they won't be doing any more, so I probably will do a bit of that. I would like to see To Kill a Mockingbird again, for example, as I mentioned earlier. That's where I'd like to start. I am sorry that he's gone. I'm glad that he died peacefully with his wife at his side. I wish he had lived to 100 or more, but 95 is a good, long run. I thank God for Robert Duvall. He will always be my favorite actor, bar none. From my point of view, no other actors can compare with him and never will. And I can say a sincere Rest in Peace in his memory, and I hope to see him again when I leave this world.