Robert Duvall talks about Hollywood and his Career

Last updated on: December 21, 2011 at 12:21 am by Rebecca Cusey

Robert Duvall talks about Hollywood and his Career 2011-12-21T00:21:19-06:00 Rebecca Cusey

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Reading through a list of roles played by the great Robert Duvall is like taking a tour of great American cinema. “Apocalypse Now.” “The Godfather.” “Tender Mercies.” The original “True Grit.” Even “To Kill a Mockingbird” as Boo Radley. Nor has he slowed down, appearing in three excellent films in 2009 alone: “Get Low,” “The Road,” and “Crazy Heart,” which won two Oscars.

Which role does the iconic actor consider his best?

The cowboy McCrae in the Western miniseries Lonesome Dove.

“That’s my favorite part. Let the English play Hamlet and King Lear. I’ll play Gus McCrae,” he told me when we talked by phone, “When that movie was over – it was 16 weeks – we were all rather tired. I said I feel like I could retire now because I felt I’d done something great.”

He returns to his cowboy role in “Seven Days in Utopia,” as Johnny Crawford, a golfing expert in Texas who helps a young golfer get his swing back and his life straightened out. Lucas Black plays Luke Chisholm, whose spectacular meltdown on the PGA tour caused him to seek help from Crawford and, ultimately, God.

Duvall is a fan. “Lucas Black is a legitimate actor and a fine young man. Had it been anyone else in that part, I might not have considered doing it.”

The overt faith shown in “Seven Days in Utopia” makes it a bit of a faith-based niche film. (Review here.) I asked Duvall if he thought Hollywood was beginning to open up to explorations of faith.

That’s the wrong way of thinking about it, he said.

“Hollywood is set up so that whatever makes money they go for. The faith based movie that makes money, they’ll go for…They’ve always been open to doing most any kind of movie as long as it has a commercial tag pinned onto it. That’s the beginning and the end of it in Hollywood. Will it make money or not? So I think they’re willing to make faith based or secular movies or whatever. I think there’s room for all.”

Duvall has always been open to exploring faith and his conservative political views.

“I did a movie called ‘Get Low’ a couple years ago,” he told me, “To me, that was more faith based than [Seven Days in Utopia] even. Because without hitting it on the head directly, it was more indirect. [Utopia] is a direct thing, which is ok. It was more obvious, that’s what they were going for. Sometimes when it becomes offhand and you go not so in an obvious way, sometimes for me that can be more effective.”

Seven Days in Utopia is now available on DVD.

I think I speak for a grateful nation when I say we are glad Robert Duvall did not retire after “Lonesome Dove” and hope he keeps bringing iconic roles to life for years to come.

Previous Post

December 20, 2011

Warrior

Next Post

December 21, 2011 Back to Middle-Earth with 'The Hobbit' Trailer

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Becky's Picks Children's Movies DVD releases Entertainment News Faith on Film Featured Hunger Games In Theaters Interviews Life, Etc. Mixed Nuts Movie Reviews Poliflix Scroogewatch slider Television Uncategorized

Select a Month December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 April 2011 March 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

True or False: David committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged for her husband Uriah to be killed.

Select your answer to see how you score.

TRUE FALSE