Editing Robert Duvall (section)

== Early life and education ==
Duvall was born January 5, 1931, in [[San Diego]], California,<ref name="people1984" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Spotlight: Robert Duvall's Iconic Film Career |url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/spotlight-robert-duvall-s-iconic-film-career/ss-AA1sa66K |access-date=2024-12-24 |website=www.msn.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Bowman |first=Wendy |date=July 18, 2024 |orig-date=July 18, 2024 |title=One of Robert Duvall's Former L.A. Homes Can Be Yours for $2 Million |url=https://robbreport.com/shelter/celebrity-homes/robert-duvall-former-house-los-angeles-1235779747/ |access-date=December 24, 2024 |website=Robb Report |language=en-US}}</ref> to Mildred Virginia Duvall ({{nee|Hart}}), an amateur actress, and [[Virginia]]-born Rear Admiral William Howard Duvall,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uboat.net/allies/commanders/4015.html|title=Allied Warship Commanders – William Howard Duvall, USN|publisher=UBoat|access-date=November 19, 2017|archive-date=August 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803214358/https://uboat.net/allies/commanders/4015.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[United States Navy]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Roberts|first=Gary Boyd|publisher=New England Historic Genealogical Society | url = http://www.newenglandancestors.org/education/articles/research/special_guests/gary_boyd_roberts/gbr83.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080121110802/http://www.newenglandancestors.org/education/articles/research/special_guests/gary_boyd_roberts/gbr83.asp | archive-date=January 21, 2008 | title = A Third Set of Ten Hollywood Figures (or Groups Thereof), with a Coda on Two Directors|access-date=January 3, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode | series = Saturday Morning News | network = [[CNN]] | title = The Novak Zone: Interview With Robert Duvall | air-date = February 15, 2003 | url = http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0302/15/smn.18.html | access-date = May 6, 2007 | archive-date = May 27, 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090527014545/http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0302/15/smn.18.html | url-status = live }}</ref> The second of three sons, he has an elder brother, William Jr. and a younger brother, John (1934–2000), who was an entertainment lawyer.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Estrada|first=Louie|date=August 6, 2000|title=Lawyer, Entertainer John Duvall Dies|newspaper=The Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2000/08/06/lawyer-entertainer-john-duvall-dies/20bbc0d2-a41e-4f99-b81f-59f346d0f3a7/|access-date=February 13, 2022|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=August 28, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828192928/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/2000/08/06/lawyer-entertainer-john-duvall-dies/20bbc0d2-a41e-4f99-b81f-59f346d0f3a7/|url-status=live}}</ref> His mother was a relative of [[American Civil War]] General [[Robert E. Lee]], and a member of the [[Lee family|Lee Family of Virginia]], while his father was a descendant of settler [[Mareen Duvall]].<ref>Vickers, Hugo (2011). Behind Closed Doors: The Tragic, Untold, Story of the Duchess of Windsor. London: Hutchinson. p. 377. {{ISBN|978-0-09-193155-1}}.</ref>

Duvall was raised in the [[Christian Science]] religion and has stated that, while it is his belief, he does not attend church.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.adherents.com/people/pd/Robert_Duvall.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20051119132518/http://www.adherents.com/people/pd/Robert_Duvall.html | url-status = usurped | archive-date = November 19, 2005 | title = The Religious Affiliation of Robert Duvall | publisher = Adherents.com}}</ref> He grew up primarily in [[Annapolis, Maryland]],<ref name=people1984>{{cite news | first = Robert F. | last = Jones | title = Robert Duvall | work = [[People (magazine)|People]] | date = April 23, 1984 }}</ref> site of the [[United States Naval Academy]]. He recalled: "I was a [[Military brat (U.S. subculture)|Navy brat]]. My father started at the Academy when he was 16, made [[Captain (naval)|captain]] at 39 and retired as a [[rear admiral]]." He attended [[Severn School]] in [[Severna Park, Maryland]], and [[The Principia]] in [[St. Louis|St. Louis, Missouri]]. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in drama from [[Principia College]] in [[Elsah, Illinois]], in 1953.<ref name=people1984 /><ref name=people1977 />

His father had expected him to attend the Naval Academy, but Duvall said "I was terrible at everything but acting—I could barely get through school". He again defied his father by serving in the [[United States Army]]{{r|stevenson19770905}} after the [[Korean War]], from August 19, 1953, to August 20, 1954, leaving the Army as [[private first class]].<ref name=MilitaryRankDuvall>"Famous Veteran: Robert Duvall", ''Military.com'' – ''Veteran Employment Center''. Retrieved December 13, 2015</ref> "That's led to some confusion in the press," he explained in 1984, "Some stories have me shooting it out with the [[Commies]] from a [[Defensive fighting position|foxhole]] over in Frozen Chosin. [[Battle of Pork Chop Hill|Pork Chop Hill]] stuff. Hell, I barely qualified with the [[M1 Garand|M-1 rifle]] in [[Military recruit training|basic training]]".<ref name=people1984 /> While stationed at Camp Gordon, now [[Fort Eisenhower]], in [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], Duvall acted in an amateur production of the comedy ''[[Room Service (play)|Room Service]]'' in nearby [[Augusta, Georgia]].<ref name=people1977 />

In the winter of 1955, Duvall attended the [[Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre]] in New York City,<ref name=people1984 /> under [[Sanford Meisner]], on the [[G.I. Bill]]. During his two years there, [[Dustin Hoffman]], [[Gene Hackman]] and [[James Caan]] were among his classmates.<ref name=people1984 /><ref name="ReferenceA">Current Biography July 1977 (The H.W. Wilson Company) at robertduvall.net23.net. Retrieved January 2, 2012.</ref><ref>Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre: Photo Gallery at www.neighborhoodplayhouse.org. Retrieved December 31, 2011.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://twitter.com/RuskinSchool/status/1317226680583270401/photo/1|title= Robert Duvall at the neighborhood Playhouse 1957|work= twitter|access-date= October 25, 2020|archive-date= January 21, 2023|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230121033347/https://twitter.com/RuskinSchool/status/1317226680583270401|url-status= live}}</ref> While studying acting, he worked as a Manhattan post office clerk. Duvall remains friends today with fellow California-born actors Hoffman and Hackman (who died in 2025), whom he knew during their years as struggling actors.<ref name="cbs" /> In 1955, Duvall roomed with Hoffman in a New York City apartment while they were studying together at the Playhouse.<ref>{{cite web | publisher = Xfinity Entertainment | title = Celebrity Roommates | access-date = December 31, 2011 | url = http://xfinity.comcast.net/slideshow/entertainment-celebroommates/13/ | url-status=dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120517035451/http://xfinity.comcast.net/slideshow/entertainment-celebroommates/13/ | archive-date = May 17, 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.routemagazine.us/stories/a-conversation-with-robert-duvall|title=A Conversation with Robert Duvall &#124; ROUTE Magazine|access-date=March 2, 2022|archive-date=March 2, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220302004047/https://www.routemagazine.us/stories/a-conversation-with-robert-duvall|url-status=live}}</ref> Around this time, he also roomed with Hackman, while working odd jobs such as clerking at [[Macy's]], sorting mail at the post office, and driving a truck.<ref name=people1977>{{cite news | title = Robert Duvall, Hollywood's No. 1 Second Lead, Breaks for Starlight | url = http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20067777,00.html | first = Laura | last = Stevenson | work = [[People (magazine)|People]] | access-date = December 9, 2012 | url-status=dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131104213721/http://www.people.com/people/article/0%2C%2C20067777%2C00.html | archive-date = November 4, 2013 }}</ref>