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2023 SESSION
WHEREAS, Robert Selden Duvall, a resident of Fauquier County, a Hollywood icon, and one of the extraordinary actors of the last century, has made significant contributions to the art of acting and filmmaking for more than 70 years and to historic preservation in the Commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, after graduating from Principia College in 1953, Robert Duvall honorably served his country as a member of the United States Army during the Korean War before studying acting at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York with renowned teacher Sanford Meisner; and
WHEREAS, beginning his acting career in Off-Broadway and Broadway plays in the 1950s, Robert Duvall transitioned to television and film shortly thereafter, debuting as Boo Radley in the 1962 production of To Kill a Mockingbird; and
WHEREAS, Robert Duvall later appeared notably as Major Frank Burns in the comedy blockbuster M*A*S*H, as Tom Hagen, the consiglieri, in the classics The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II, and as Gus McCrae in Lonesome Dove; and
WHEREAS, in recognition of his accomplishments as an actor, Robert Duvall has been honored with the industry’s most prestigious awards, including an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Mac Sledge in Tender Mercies, four Golden Globe Awards, a BAFTA Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award; and
WHEREAS, Robert Duvall’s father, Rear Admiral Lower Half William Howard Duvall, USN, Ret., hailed from Lorton; Robert Duvall has also made the Commonwealth his home for many years, today residing with his wife, Luciana Pedraza, in The Plains, where they manage a horse farm; and
WHEREAS, Robert Duvall has been a major supporter of historic preservation and conservation in the Commonwealth and fought ardently to protect many historic and open spaces, including the Wilderness Battlefield, a unit of the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Battlefield Park, helping to ensure that visitors may appreciate the historical significance and natural beauty of this area for generations to come; and
WHEREAS, in recognition of his efforts to support farmland, scenic, and historic land preservation in the Commonwealth, Robert Duvall was presented the Richmonds Medal by Scenic Virginia and the Thames Landscape Strategy in 2018, becoming the first recipient from the United States to receive this distinguished honor; and
WHEREAS, Robert Duvall has inspired generations of fans through his stellar work as an actor, director, producer, and screenwriter and has permanently impacted the art of film through the sheer magnitude and quality of his body of work, which includes some of the most famous characters ever portrayed in film; he has also inspired his friends and community with his generous spirit and through the meaningful way he lives his life, earning him the esteem and respect of all Virginians; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the Senate of Virginia, That Robert Selden Duvall, acclaimed actor and longtime resident of the Commonwealth, hereby be commended for his extraordinary impact on the art of filmmaking and on historic preservation in the Commonwealth; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Robert Selden Duvall as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for his work and for his contributions to the preservation of the Commonwealth’s unparalleled beauty.