Robert Duvall was a true original, on and off the screen, who had a multitude of quirks and interests as a person but was never anything less than a consummate professional and “marvelous actor.” That’s how director Walter Hill, who helmed Duvall in the 2006 miniseries “Broken Trail” and the 1993 western “Geronimo: An American Legend,” remembered the beloved actor who died Sunday at the age of 95.
When the camera was rolling on a complicated shoot, there was no better “good soldier” on a set pushing the company to get work done than Duvall, as Hill recalled.
“It was my good fortune to direct him twice,” Hill told Variety. “He was a marvelous actor and a different kind of guy. Sometimes it was a bumpy ride, but we’re all better off for his efforts over the years. He always had my great respect as a wonderful actor. And we ended up friends.”
Duvall was a force in any room, even though he did not look or sound like a traditional leading man.
“He had a kind of authority and reality to what he brought to scenes,” Hill said. “I always believed he brought out the best in everybody. He was very professional, and he demanded that of others, which was terrific. Like all great actors, what the magic is there is kind of mysterious and rather difficult to define.”
As an actor, his process could be maddening to directors, Hill admitted. (“In a way, he was director-proof”). Once Duvall settled on how he was going to play a role, it was hard to get him to adjust. But the tradeoff was that Duvall delivered his heartfelt best in every scene.
“He didn’t like a lot of rehearsal. He knew what he was going to do. He didn’t pay much attention to directors in the sense of character, line readings, that kind of business,” Hill said. “But he was a very easy actor to work with in terms of staging. He never resisted anything about staging, at least with me. But as to his approach to the character, he had that worked out in his head before he ever got there, and you weren’t going to change it.”
Hill first met Duvall when the former was working as the second assistant director on the 1968 Steve McQueen smash “Bullitt.” Duvall had a small part in the film and kept having his shooting days rescheduled. That meant Duvall spent a lot of downtime in San Francisco — much of which he spent playing tennis.
That was when Hill realized that Duvall was genuinely one of the quirky characters of Hollywood. He had interests ranging from equestrian activities to Italian food to doing the tango like a pro. During the “Broken Trail” shoot in Calgary, Duvall brought along his own chef, which he paid for himself.
“He loved Italian food and Spanish food. And of course, he loved the tango. There was so much that was unlikely about him,” Hill recalled.
Duvall was proud of his accomplishments on and off screen. Hill recalled a candid conversation during the filming of “Broken Trail” with Duvall about who was Hollywood’s best horseman at the time.
“He was very proud of his horsemanship, and he was an excellent horseman. He asked me one time who the best horseman I’d ever worked with, because I’ve done a number of westerns. I said, ‘Well, you know, the famously the best horseman and Screen Actors Guild is Sam Elliott. And a lot of people think the Carradine brothers [David and Keith] are Sam’s equal,’ ” Hill remembered. “And he looked at me and he said, ‘I’m better than all them,’ and walked out of the room. Bob was not without ego.”
“Broken Trail” was a big hit in its two-part debut on AMC Network in June 2006. At the time the cable channel was known only for airing classic films. The following year, AMC would see its profile skyrocket as original series “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad” took root. But “Broken Trail” was the event program that proved to AMC that the right programming could draw a big audience.
Duvall had developed “Broken Trail” through his own production company as a feature before setting it up at AMC as a two-part event miniseries. Hill, known for stylish 1980s hits such as “48 Hours,” “Streets of Fire” and “Brewster’s Millions,” was recruited as director because of his experience with oaters. “Broken Trail” told the story of a group of cowboys transporting horses in the Northwest who wind up shielding a group of young Chinese woman from a sex trafficking ring.
“Broken Trail” won the Emmy for best miniseries and it brought acting Emmy wins to Duvall and his costar Thomas Haden Church. Duvall was “protective of the material” during filming because he felt responsible for bringing it to life. But when the awards starting rolling in, Duvall wasn’t one to publicly beat his chest, Hill said.
“He would just tuck in his chin and think that justice had been done and then move on,” Hill recalled. “He was not a boaster or a blowhard or anything like that. He was just always out looking for his next job. He was very committed to his career.”
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