Robert Duvall Reminisces: "'Apocalypse Now' Was... Crazy. Dennis Hopper Was So Hopped Up On Dope"
One of Hollywood's true elder statesmen, Duvall is a man to whom it is worth listening, and Bana's observation is readily borne out by the 76-year-old actor's interest in an eclectic mix of subjects. His liveliness belies his age, and as he settles down in one of the fancy antechambers in the Grand Hotel in Rome, he talks keenly on a range of topics, from politics to horses, from food to football.
"I've played so many characters, but never a professional poker player like L. C. Cheever," Duvall says of his character in the new film. "And, truth be told, I didn't know a straight from a flush. I had no desire to be a poker player in a movie so I had to kind of work backwards. I don't usually like to rehearse, but I really had to work for this."
Duvall's dedication to his profession seems as strong as ever, and while, for example, his old friend Gene Hackman has worked less and less, Duvall has kept on making films.
The Times | June 21, 2007 01:45 PM