Entertainment
‘Godfather’, ‘Apocalypse Now’ Actor Robert Duvall Dies At 95
Robert Duvall, who played the smooth mafia lawyer in “The Godfather” and stole the show with his depiction of a surfing-crazed colonel in “Apocalypse Now,” has died at the age of 95, his wife said Monday.
His death Sunday was confirmed by his wife Luciana Duvall.
“Yesterday we said goodbye to my beloved husband, cherished friend, and one of the greatest actors of our time. Bob passed away peacefully at home,” she wrote.
Blunt-talking, prolific and glitz-averse, Duvall won an Oscar for best actor and was nominated six other times. Over his six decades-long career, he shone in both lead and supporting roles, and eventually became a director.
“To the world, he was an Academy Award-winning actor, a director, a storyteller. To me, he was simply everything,” Luciana Duvall said. “His passion for his craft was matched only by his deep love for characters, a great meal, and holding court.”
Duvall won his Academy Award in 1983 for playing a washed-up country singer in “Tender Mercies.”
But his most memorable characters also included the soft-spoken, loyal mob consigliere Tom Hagen in the first two installments of “The Godfather” and the maniacal Lieutenant Colonel William Kilgore in Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 Vietnam War epic “Apocalypse Now.”
The latter, which earned Duvall an Oscar nomination and made him a bona fide star after years playing lesser roles, sees him utter what is now one of cinema’s most famous lines.
“I love the smell of napalm in the morning,” his war-loving character — bare chested, cocky and sporting a big black cowboy hat — muses as low-flying US warplanes bomb a beachfront tree line where he wants to go surfing.
That character was originally created to be even more over the top — his name was at first supposed to be Colonel Carnage — but Duvall had it toned down, demonstrating his meticulous approach to acting.
“I did my homework,” Duvall told veteran talk show host Larry King in 2015. “I did my research.”
Duvall was sort of a late bloomer in Hollywood — he was already 31 when he delivered his breakout performance as the mysterious recluse Boo Radley in the 1962 film adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel “To Kill a Mockingbird.”
He would go on to play myriad roles — a bullying corporate executive in “Network” (1976), a Marine officer who treats his family like soldiers in “The Great Santini” (1979), and then his star turn in “Tender Mercies.”
Duvall often said his favorite role, however, was one he played in a 1989 TV mini-series — the grizzled, wise-cracking Texas Ranger-turned-cowboy Augustus McCrae in “Lonesome Dove,” based on the novel by Larry McMurtry.
Film critic Elaine Mancini once described Duvall as “the most technically proficient, the most versatile, and the most convincing actor on the screen in the United States.”
AFP
Sharon Ademefun, elder sister to Afrobeats star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has revealed how she manages her brother’s finances and tries to curb his spending on luxury items.
Ademefun, who serves as the Chief Financial Officer of Davido Music Worldwide, said she conducts structured financial reviews with the artist to enforce fiscal discipline.
She spoke during an appearance on The Morayo Show hosted by television host Morayo Afolabi-Brown and posted on YouTube on Tuesday.
“Me and Davido sit and have a finance meeting every week because I think it is important for him to know how his money is being spent. I will now say, ‘David, please, no more cars,’” Ademefun said.
She said despite her warnings, Davido sometimes continues to acquire luxury cars.
“No more jewelry. 24 hours later, you know how they normally say it, ‘2 to 3 business days’, I’ll just see on the blogs. This latest car.”
Ademefun also disclosed that she had been involved in Davido’s career from its early days, saying their current professional relationship was a natural progression from her previous role in his management team.
According to her, their relationship sometimes involved disagreements because she was willing to challenge her brother when necessary.
“The problem is that me and David were always fighting. If other people can’t tell him, me I’ll tell him. And so, I think the truth of the matter is it was a natural progression.
“I think that we both needed to go off and do our own things. And now I can take what I’ve learned in business and then help him put structure into his business. So, it’s just more official.”
Ademefun also said she had signed a non-disclosure agreement when Afolabi-Brown asked whether she was the person who knew the details of Davido’s wealth.
“I’ve signed a non-disclosure agreement! I can’t confirm or deny!” she said.
She further disclosed that Davido has a functional management team that handles his day-to-day logistics and she sometimes intervenes when she believes cost-cutting decisions could affect Davido’s comfort while travelling.
“You know, if you book him on an airline that doesn’t have a good first class, he can get to the airport and say, ‘Yeah, if you want me to go to an event, buy first class’… I’ve bought a ticket at the airport many times.
“Because maybe they tried to cut corners or cut costs somewhere. So, there’s lots of funny things.”
Ademefun also spoke about her business interests, including Body Politics, a clothing line she said she started out of frustration with the limited clothing options available to women with different body types.
She said the business offers clothing in sizes ranging from XXS to 5XL.
Ademefun said she was cautious about expanding the business too quickly, adding that her focus was on improving what she was already doing.
“I think the next big thing is to do what I’m doing better. I don’t want to make the mistake of over-expanding too quickly, but I think you’re going to see more of me, more pop-ups, and more availability,” she said.
BBNaija Season 11 housemates Yusuf, Bells and Chimsom Chuka have been evicted from the reality television show.
Their eviction was announced during the live eviction show on Sunday as the ‘Show Ya Sef’ edition entered another stage of the competition.
The trio’s exit follows the previous eviction, which saw Araga and Abi leave the competition.
Before their eviction, the season had also witnessed the exits of Martins, Mercedes, Kamsy, Cassi, Sultex, Goddessa and Gerard, while Neche voluntarily withdrew from the show.
The season recorded another major development during the week when Nomy was disqualified from the competition.
Following the latest eviction, 10 housemates remain in the ‘Show Ya Sef’ house as the competition moves towards its final stages.
Actress Nkechi Blessing and former Big Brother Naija reality show winner, Phyna are set to settle their ongoing fight in a celebrity boxing match.
The highly-anticipated face-off is scheduled for October 1, 2026 at the Federal Palace Hotel in Lagos State.
The organisers, Balmoral, announced the match in an Instagram post on Friday evening.
Sharing the poster, the organiser wrote, “Plot twist? Let’s see what the women can do. Phyna VS Nkechi.
“The rivalry is real. Now, let’s see who backs it up when the bell rings.”
This came a few hours after Nkechi Blessing and Phyna engaged in a heated exchange on social media.
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