Oscar-winning actor Robert Duvall has starred in some of the most popular films of all-time, including the first two installments of “The Godfather” trilogy and “Apocalypse Now.” He’s been nominated by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences an impressive six times and took home the Best Actor hardware for 1983’s “Tender Mercies.” Duvall’s most recent credits include “Gods & Generals,” “John Q” and “Open Range.” His latest film, “Secondhand Lions,” opens Friday.
Question: You were quoted as saying you’re sick of making movies in Canada, which raised the ire of our neighbors to the north. What brought on the anti-Canuck stance?
Robert Duvall: I got in trouble, right, for saying I don’t like working in Canada. They jumped on me, these Canadians. But I would rather work here. They wanted to do “Secondhand Lions” in Canada, and I said if they did it there, I wasn’t doing it. I just finished doing the other one (“Open Range”) in Canada, which was great — in Alberta. But “Secondhand Lions” is a Texas movie, and you make a movie about Texas in Texas. At least, that’s what I think anyway.
Q: Your character in “Secondhand Lions,” Hub, isn’t one to walk away from a fight. Same goes with the cattleman you played in “Open Range.” Have you had much personal experience as far as mixing it up?
RD: No, I kind of stay away from brawls and stuff like that. It’s play-acting. Fiction.
Q: You’re an avowed conservative. That makes you kind of an anomaly in Hollywood, doesn’t it?
RD: It’s a funny thing. So often when these guys (in Hollywood) spout off, a lot of whom are liberals, I get very embarrassed. It’s all emotion, it seems like. I’d rather put more faith in Secretary of State Colin Powell than Secretary of State Sean Penn, if you know what I mean? (laughs) Q: What about Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger?
RD: I don’t know. Why not? The guy’s game. He’s got his wife whispering in his ear, whether that’s good or bad, I don’t know. As a team, maybe they’ll do OK. Who knows? I don’t live (in LA) but I guess things are in a pretty bad state. The only celebrity I think is refreshing and who I listen to is Dennis Miller. That guy’s hilarious, and I happen to agree with a lot of what he says. I love that guy.
Q: Would you be interested in running for office someday?
RD: No, no, no. I don’t even know what the rules of order are. I wouldn’t want to be in politics, no. Actors should do what they do, and politicians should do what they do.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 19, 2003. Read the original PDF.