Robert Duvall, in full Robert Seldon Duvall, (born January 5, 1931, San Diego, California, U.S.), American actor noted for his ability to quietly inhabit any characters, particularly average working people, bringing them fully but subtly to life. In the words of critic Elaine Mancini, Duvall was “the most technically proficient, the most versatile, and the most convincing actor on the screen in the United States.”