Robert Duvall and Jesse Jackson both died this week, each having left a remarkable legacy in their respective fields of endeavour.
Robert Duvall passed aged 95 (1931 - 2026), an actor of remarkable skill, who played Tom Hagen, "Il Consiglieri", to Marlon Brando's "Godfather" in two films; a memorable role in "Apocalypse Now"; plus key roles in many other important films of the 1970s and 1980s.
Nominated five times for a best actor Oscar, he won it once in 1984 for "Tender Mercies".
Duvall with his Oscar [BBC]
Arguably he was short-changed, although he also won a BAFTA, an Emmy and four Golden Globes, as well as other awards.
He first came to prominence as Boo Radley in Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird", a role in which he did not speak.
In "Apocalypse Now" he spoke the immortal line "I love the smell of napalm in the morning", which will forever be associated with this Californian-born actor.
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Rev. Jesse Jackson was 84 (1941 - 2026) when he left us yesterday, Tuesday. A champion of civil rights and human rights, he was a contemporary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
According to The New York Times Jackson was an impassioned orator, and was a moral and political force, forming a “rainbow coalition” of poor and working-class people and seeking the presidency on two occasions.
Jackson in full flow [La Jornada]
His mission, he said, was “to transform the mind of America".
The lengthy NYT obituary was very negative about Jackson, who was born in South Carolina. On the other hand EL PAIS in English gives him a more favourable death notice.
Jesse Jackson ran for president in both 1984 and 1988, but, despite coming close to getting the presidential nomination in 1988, he never achieved elected office.
Active until 2017 when he became ill with what turned out to be Parkinson's Disease, his legacy was significant.
According to Sky News Jackson became friends with Ronald and Nancy Reagan, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Barack and Michelle Obama and many others.
© Paul Whitelock
Links:
Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson has died, family says | News UK Video News | Sky News
Jesse Jackson, Charismatic Champion of Civil Rights, Dies at 84 - The New York Times
Jesse Jackson, veteran US civil rights activist, dies at 84 | U.S. | EL PAÍS English
Robert Duvall - Wikipedia, la enciclopedia libre
The Truth About Boo Radley - YouTube video
Photos:
BBC, La Jornada
Acknowledgements:
EL PAIS in English, New York Times, Sky News, Wikipedia,
Tags:
"Apocalypse Now", Barack and Michelle Obama, best actor Oscar, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Boo Radley, BAFTA, BBC, champion of civil rights and human rights, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., EL PAIS in English, Emmy, four Golden Globes, Godfather, Harper Lee, Il Consiglieri, "I love the smell of napalm in the morning", La Jornada, Marlon Brando, New York Times, Parkinson's Disease, “rainbow coalition”, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Robert Duvall, Ronald and Nancy Reagan, Sky News, "Tender Mercies", "To Kill a Mockingbird"