Robert Duvall - Early Life

Early Life

Duvall was born in San Diego, California, the son of Mildred Virginia (née Hart), an amateur actress and relative of American Civil War General Robert E. Lee, and William Howard Duvall, a Virginia-born U.S. Navy admiral. Duvall was raised in the Christian Science religion and has stated that while it is his belief, he does not attend church. Duvall grew up in the traditional life of a career military family, moving frequently from military base to military base, living for a time in Annapolis, Maryland, near the United States Naval Academy. He attended Severn School in Severna Park, Maryland and The Principia in St. Louis, Missouri and graduated, in 1953, from Principia College in Elsah, Illinois. He served in the United States Army from 19 August 1953 to 20 August 1954, leaving as Private First Class. While stationed at Camp Gordon (now known as Fort Gordon) in Georgia, Duvall acted in an amateur production of the comedy "Room Service" in nearby Augusta.

In the winter of 1955 he began studies at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of Theater in New York under Sanford Meisner on the G.I. Bill. He was there for two years. Dustin Hoffman, Gene Hackman and James Caan were some of his classmates. He was there in 1957 attending Meisner's classes. While working to become an actor, he worked as a Manhattan post office clerk. Duvall is friends with actors Dustin Hoffman and Gene Hackman whom he knew during their years as struggling actors. In 1955, Duvall roomed with Hoffman in a New York City apartment while they were studying at The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre.