Adam Sandler leads tributes to Robert Duvall, calls him 'one of the greatest actors we ever had'

Adam Sandler, Alec Baldwin and Jamie Lee Curtis led the outpouring of celebrity tributes to Robert Duvall after the legendary actor died at the age of 95. 

On Monday, Duvall's wife Luciana Pedraza Duvall confirmed his death in a post on his official Facebook page.

"Yesterday we said goodbye to my beloved husband, cherished friend, and one of the greatest actors of our time," Luciana  wrote online in part. "Bob passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by love and comfort."

'GODFATHER' STAR ROBERT DUVALL DEAD AT 95

Circumstances surrounding his death were not immediately made available.

Adam Sandler, who co-starred with Duvall in the 2022 Netflix film "Hustle," honored the late actor in a post he shared on Instagram. 

"Funny as hell. Strong as hell. One of the greatest actors we ever had," Sandler wrote alongside a slideshow of photos featuring Duvall including an image of the two together on the set of "Hustle."

He continued, "Such a great man to talk to and laugh with. Loved him so much. We all did. So many movies to choose from that were legendary. Watch them when you can. Sending his wife Luciana and all his family and friends our condolences."

Baldwin paid tribute to Duvall, praising the star and highlighting some of his most famous roles in a video that he shared on his Instagram page. 

"I wanted to say something very briefly about Robert Duvall," Baldwin told his followers. "It's so hard to talk about in a memorializing way, whatever word you want to use, in a tribute about someone with as vast a career as Robert Duvall."

He continued, "In film and theater. Duvall, of course, occupies an unusual place in my life because when he did [1962's] ‘To Kill a Mockingbird,’ he just destroyed you with his performance as Boo Radley. Without a single word of dialogue, not one word, and he completely shatters you. And whenever I watch that movie, those scenes with Duvall are just so arresting to me."

"I read where [screenwriter] Horton Foote had done a play with Duvall and recommended him to the ‘To Kill a Mockingbird casting people," he added. "Of course, ’Apocalypse' and ‘Lonesome Dove’ and all these iconic things he did, ‘The Godfather and ’Network' and so forth. I mean scores and scores of movies and TV shows that he was great in."

The "30 Rock" alum recalled that he once met Duvall at a celebrity tennis match and shared his impression of the late actor. 

"He was — irascible is the word I would use — he was very crusty, but he was a gentleman," Baldwin said. "What a great actor, I mean, up there with the greats, up there the greats. You always hear De Niro and Brando and Pacino and Hoffman and Nicholson and Hackman and, you know, great movie stars like Newman and Redford and Beatty and people like that."

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"But the world has lost — I think he was an older gentleman — but the world lost a great, great actor," he continued. He was a great actor, Duvall, and one of the greatest of all time, I guess. The parts he played in films — he was unforgettable is the word I would use —so my thoughts go out to his wife, his widow. He had no children, I read, but my thoughts go to his friends who lost their friend. 

"Rest in peace to the great, great and irreplaceable Robert Duvall," Baldwin concluded in his clip.

Jamie Lee Curtis also honored Duvall, sharing a film still of the actor from the classic 1972 film "The Godfather," in which he starred in his iconic role as Tom Hagen. 

"The greatest consigliere the screen has ever seen," Curtis wrote in the caption of her Instagram post. "Bravo, Robert Duvall."

Michael Keaton, who co-starred with Duvall in Ron Howard’s 1994 comedy-drama "The Paper," posted a photo of the actor on Instagram.

"Another friend goes down," Keaton wrote in the caption. "Acted with and became friends. Shared a great afternoon on my front porch talking about horses. He was greatness personified as an actor. RIP RD."

Hollywood legend Al Pacino, who co-starred with Duvall in "The Godfather" and its 1974 sequel "The Godfather Part II," remembered the actor in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. 

"It was an honor to have worked with Robert Duvall," Pacino stated. "He was a born actor as they say, his connection with it, his understanding and his phenomenal gift will always be remembered. I will miss him."

Kevin Costner honored Duvall in an Instagram post, shared a behind-the-scenes video featuring himself with the late actor from the production of the 2003 movie "Open Range." The duo co-starred in the Western drama, which Costner also directed and co-produced.

"This look behind the scenes of Open Range means even more to me now than it did back then," Costner wrote. "When I saw that he was as affected as I was by the music playing throughout the set, it sunk in for me just how much his work meant to him. That even with his long list of credits and accolades, he still led with his heart as he stepped into a new role." 

"I’m forever grateful for this opportunity to have worked with Bobby," he added. "To me, he’ll always be Boss."

Viola Davis recalled starring alongside Duvall in the 2018 thriller "Widows" in a post that she shared on Instagram Threads.

"I had the honor of working alongside you in Widows. I was in awe," she wrote. "I’ve always been in awe of your towering portrayals of men who were both quiet and dominating in their humanness. You were a giant… an icon… Apocalypse Now, The Godfather, To Kill a Mockingbird, Tender Mercies, The Apostle, Lonesome Dove… etc… Greatness never dies. It stays… as a gift. Rest well, sir. Your name will be spoken… May flights of angels sing thee to thy rest."

Katie Couric shared a photo of Duvall on the red carpet at the 2019 Tribeca FIlm Festival, writing, "Robert Duvall has died. What a fine actor. So many fantastic roles. Tender Mercies was my favorite—he won an Oscar for that role. He lived in the same apartment as I did when I first moved to New York. Rest in Peace and thank you for your beautiful films."

"The White Lotus" star Walter Goggins also paid tribute to Duvall on social media. Goggins, who played a small supporting role in "The Apostle," the 1997 movie that Duvall directed, wrote and starred in, called the late actor his "mentor" and "friend."

"The celestial light just lost its glow..It certainly did for me," he began his Instagram post, which featured still photos of the two on "The Apostle" set.

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"Bobby Duvall, the greatest storyteller of all time just left us," Goggins continued. "He was my friend. My mentor. I’ve had these photos with me for 30 years. They were taken by the still photographer on the set of THE APOSTLE, the movie he wrote and directed. I was 24. The privilege of getting to work with this man, to know this man is still the most important experience of my life." 

"He was my North Star, my hero. He knew it. He gave me permission, afforded me the privilege of never having to leave his side while we were working… we maintained a deep friendship for years after. He didn’t have to do that. But he did. He had that effect on a lot of people… but this was my story. I love you Bobby. Thank you for changing my life," Goggins concluded. 

Goggins signed his tribute "Sammy," the name of his character in "The Apostle."

Cary Elwes also honored Duvall, sharing a production still from their time filming the 1990 sports action movie "Days of Thunder."

"The magnificent Robert Duvall has left us," Elwes wrote in the caption. "But he has left us a monumental body of work that is incomparable. I grew up idolizing him and all the characters he created, which were classes in authenticity."

He continued, "When I got to work with him on ‘Days of Thunder’ in 1990 he turned out to be as fabulous a human being as I could have hoped. I have wonderful memories of numerous barbecues he threw for the cast & crew at the ranch he was staying at. And the wonderful, touching moment when he asked me to film him and his wife Luciana dancing the tango. My heart goes out to Luciana and his extended family, friends and fans of which I will always be one. Farewell, Bob. Rest in absolute power…"

"Entourage" alum Jeremy Piven posted a black and white throwback photo of Duvall, writing, "One of the greats has moved on. every moment counted when he was on screen. they say don’t meet your heroes but I was lucky enough to spend some nice time with him and he did not disappoint. Completely authentic and unapologetic and that authentic energy was palpable on screen… Rest easy king."

Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos lauded Duvall's talent on Instagram, sharing production stills from the actor's best-known roles in a post uploaded to Instagram. 

"To be a character actor who can steal every scene in some of the best movies ever made and still be a leading man who can carry films big and small is no small feat in Hollywood," Sarandos wrote in the caption. "Robert Duvall was that kind of an actor and that kind of a star. Today we lost one of the greats- thank goodness we will always have Tom Hagen, Lt. Col. Bill Kilgore, Bull Meechum, Mac Sledge and all of the great characters he immortalized for us."

Stephen King paid tribute to Duvall on X, formerly Twitter, as the famed horror novelist quoted the actor's iconic line from "Apocalypse Now."

"‘I love the smell of napalm in the morning!’ RIP Robert Duvall," King wrote.