{"id":472926,"date":"2026-02-17T01:36:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T01:36:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/472926\/"},"modified":"2026-02-17T01:36:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-17T01:36:07","slug":"adam-sandler-viola-davis-honor-iconic-actor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/472926\/","title":{"rendered":"Adam Sandler, Viola Davis Honor Iconic Actor"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tRobert Duvall<\/a>\u2019s many co-stars, peers, and admirers \u2014 including Adam Sandler<\/a>, and Viola Davis<\/a> \u2014 are sharing tributes to the legendary actor<\/a> following his death<\/a> over the weekend at the age of 95.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tSandler, who worked with Duvall on the 2022 basketball film Hustle, remembered<\/a> his co-star as \u201cfunny as hell,\u201d \u201cstrong as hell,\u201d and \u201cone of the greatest actors we ever had.\u201d He continued: \u201cSuch a great man to talk to and laugh with. Loved him so much. We all did. So many movies to choose from that were legendary. Watch them when you can. Sending his wife Luciana and all his family and friends our condolences.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tDavis, meanwhile, said<\/a> it was an \u201chonor\u201d to work alongside Duvall in Steve McQueen\u2019s 2018 heist thriller Widows. The actress said she was \u201cin awe\u201d of Duvall on set, and had \u201calways been in awe of [his] towering portrayals of men who were both quiet and dominating in their humanness.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tShe added: \u201cYou were a giant\u2026 an icon\u2026 Apocalypse Now, The Godfather, To Kill a Mockingbird, Tender Mercies, The Apostle, Lonesome Dove\u2026 etc\u2026 Greatness never dies. It stays\u2026 as a gift. Rest well, sir. Your name will be spoken\u2026 May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tWalton Goggins<\/a>, who had a small part in one of the films Davis mentioned, 1997\u2019s The Apostle, called Duvall \u201cthe greatest storyteller of all time.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n\tSharing several photos from the set of The Apostle (which Duvall also wrote and directed), Goggins wrote, \u201cThe privilege of getting to work with this man, to know this man is still the most important experience of my life. He was my North Star, my hero. He knew it. He gave me permission, afforded me the privilege of never having to leave his side while we were working\u2026 we maintained a deep friendship for years after. He didn\u2019t have to do that. But he did. He had that effect on a lot of people\u2026 but this was my story. I love you Bobby. Thank you for changing my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n\tMichael Keaton, who worked with Duvall on Ron Howard\u2019s 1994 film The Paper, wrote on Instagram<\/a>, \u201cAnother friend goes down. Acted with and became friends. Shared a great afternoon on my front porch talking about horses. He was greatness personified as an actor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tAnd Marisa Tomei, who was also in The Paper, said<\/a> Duvall was \u201cthe reason [she] became an actor,\u201d specifically citing his performances in The Great Santini and Tender Mercies. \u201cI was touched to my core by him,\u201d she wrote. \u201cThose two contrasting roles as well. Heart broken open by him. The greatest. A titan. Rest in peace.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n\tFilmmaker Scott Cooper, who directed Duvall in two movies, Crazy Heart and what would be the actor\u2019s final film, 2022\u2019s The Pale Blue Eye, remembered the actor as his \u201cmost important artistic mentor\u201d in a statement shared with Variety<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\n\t\u201cHe was my fiercest supporter \u2014 not with grand gestures, but with honesty, rigor, and love for the work itself,\u201d Cooper added. \u201cHis legacy as one of the true giants of acting is secure, but what I will carry with me most is his generosity, his humility, and the example he set of a life devoted entirely to truth. I would not be the filmmaker \u2014 or the man \u2014 I am without him.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tJamie Lee Curtis remembered<\/a> Duvall as \u201cthe greatest consigliere the screen has ever seen,\u201d a nod to his performances in the Godfather films. And Jane Seymour \u2014 who appeared alongside Duvall in The Stars Fell on Henrietta \u2014 stated<\/a>: \u201cThere are actors who perform, and there are actors who inhabit a role completely. Robert Duvall did the latter. His presence on screen carried honesty, weight, and grace.\u201d<\/p>\n