Robert Duvall's greatest misfortune was that he was actually too good an actor

Yesterday, it was announced that Robert Duvall – an icon of American cinema – had sadly passed away at the age of 95.

The legendary character actor had memorable roles in a number of classics including To Kill a Mockingbird, The Godfather and Apocalypse Now, but it was for his part as washed-up country singer Mac Sledge in Bruce Beresford's 1983 film Tender Mercies that he won his only Oscar.

In this piece from the Radio Times archive, film critic Barry Norman uses a 1990 television broadcast of that film to reflect on Duvall's career up to that point, lamenting the fact that his Oscar win didn't do more to turn him from an acclaimed character actor into a leading movie star.

The most curious aspect of Tender Mercies is not that it did so much for Robert Duvall, but that it didn’t do more. In every way but one it was extremely successful, not least for Duvall himself.

As co-producer he not only helped instigate the film, but shared in its nomination for best picture; as the star he won the Academy Award for best actor; Horton Foote gained the Oscar for best screenplay; Bruce Beresford was nominated as best director and the movie’s chief musical number, Over You, got the award for best song.

All in all that’s a pretty impressive record which, added to the fact that previously Duvall had been nominated twice as best supporting actor (for The Godfather and Apocalypse Now) and once for best actor (The Great Santini), should finally have established him as a star. That it failed to do so is at least partly due to Tender Mercies’ one area of failure – at the box office.

It didn’t make a lot of money, thus proving yet again that it’s not talent, awards or the acclaim of the critics and one’s peers that create a star – it’s bums on seats.

Mind you, at the time it was made it was always going to be a difficult film to sell to a mass audience.

It tells, in a gentle, low-key manner, the story of an alcoholic country and western singer (and, incidentally, Duvall recorded all the songs himself) who finds his road to redemption when he marries a young widow, Tess Harper, and acquires a stepson. It’s a picture that depends on mood, observation and character, the theme being that no matter how much we may have messed up our lives we all deserve a second chance.

Though the setting is rural Texas, the film’s texture is more European than American and a long way removed from mainstream Hollywood. Had it been released today, when the average age of the cinema audience is increasing, it would surely have proved more popular than it was in 1983, when the audience consisted predominantly of teenagers eager for fast-moving action and thrills.

So in the end, despite the praise and the Oscars, all that Tender Mercies really did for Robert Duvall was to confirm what we already knew, what he had proved a score of times – that he was an extremely fine character actor. It did not, however, raise him from the ranks of character actors and into stardom.

Now perhaps it could be argued that he simply doesn’t look like a star, but I don’t think that argument bears scrutiny. Dustin Hoffman doesn’t look like a star either, but he is one. Yes, you could say, but unlike Hoffman, Duvall is unashamedly bald. True, but then so is Sean Connery and Connery is a star.

I suspect that Duvall’s greatest misfortune is that he is actually too good an actor. He submerges himself in each role he plays and, in effect, becomes that character. His own personality steps diffidently to one side and another takes over.

But personality is the trademark of the star, even one like De Niro, who is also a fine actor. However accurate the portrayal you are always aware that De Niro lurks behind it. You cannot, though, say the same of Duvall. In all his films Duvall vanishes and in his place emerges a Mafia consigliere or a mad colonel or a country and western singer.

This is a rare and remarkable attribute for an actor but in the movie business, not renowned for its subtlety, alas, it doesn’t earn the top billing or the very big bucks.

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