Star of "The Godfather" and "Apocalypse Now": actor Robert Duvall dies at 96

Robert Duvall, Oscar-winning actor best known for "The Godfather," "Apocalypse Now," and many other tough-guy roles throughout his celebrated six-decade screen career, has died. He was 95, UNN reports with reference to CNN.

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Duvall died "peacefully" at his home in Middleburg, Virginia, on Sunday, according to a statement sent by his PR agency on behalf of his wife, Luciana.

A statement from Duvall's representative on Monday added that no formal service would be held. Instead, "the family encourages those who wish to honor his memory to do so in a way that reflects the life he lived, by watching a great movie, telling a good story around a table with friends, or taking a drive through the countryside to appreciate the beauty of the world."

Duvall memorably played the Corleone family's consigliere, or key advisor, in Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather," earning his first of seven Oscar nominations for the 1972 film before reprising the role two years later in "The Godfather Part II." Duvall notably skipped the much-anticipated second sequel, "The Godfather Part III," due to a pay dispute.

Born in San Diego, California – his father was a career naval officer – Duvall played a wide variety of roles, from cowboys to military men.

Duvall won an Oscar for Best Actor in the 1983 film "Tender Mercies," in which he performed his own vocals, playing a country singer.

He was also nominated for an award for his roles as a Marine in conflict with his family in "The Great Santini," and as Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore in the epic Vietnam War film "Apocalypse Now," where he again worked with Coppola and uttered the often-quoted line, "I love the smell of napalm in the morning."

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Another film he appeared in was Westerns, such as "Open Range" with Kevin Costner, and a role for which he won an Emmy Award in another miniseries, "Broken Trail."

Duvall also became a film director, writing, directing, and co-starring in the 1997 film "The Apostle" about a troubled preacher, and later directing "Assassination Tango" and "Wild Horses." He was again nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor in "The Apostle."

He remained active into the 2010s, earning another Oscar nomination at 84 for "The Judge" in 2014, and appearing in films such as "Jack Reacher" and "Widows."

In an interview with Larry King, Duvall called his decision not to appear in the third "Godfather" film "a matter of principle," telling Bob Costas that Al Pacino would receive five times what he was offered, which was "absolutely unacceptable."

"Everyone was doing it for the money," Duvall said at the time. "Why wait 15 years to make a sequel?"

Throughout his career, Duvall played a number of historical figures, including Robert E. Lee ("Gods and Generals"), Joseph Stalin (in the HBO film "Stalin"), and Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann ("The Man Who Captured Eichmann").