The 1962 adaptation of Harper Lee's classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture and won an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. It's easy to understand how that could happen given the classic novel that serves as the source material for the film. Lee's story centers around the morally squared-away, well-spoken lawyer Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck) who represents a Black man and accused rapist Tom Robinson (Brock Peters) in the racially divided Maycomb, Alabama. His earnest and quietly dignified performance won him the Best Actor Oscar in 1963. The role was just the latest in a litany of award-winning films Peck would star in. But another actor in the movie was making his big screen debut in a cameo role that you may have not been aware of. It's understandable if you missed this future icon of Hollywood as he would only appear on-screen for just a few minutes, but it was the beginning of one of the most illustrious and acclaimed careers in the history of film. So which stalwart of the silver screen are we talking about? We're referring to the one and only Robert Duvall.
How Did Robert Duvall Get His Start in Hollywood?
Before making his debut in To Kill a Mockingbird, Duvall had appeared in a number of popular television shows in the early 60s including small roles in Route 66 and Naked City. He also appeared in other noteworthy small-screen dramas like Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Untouchables, The Twilight Zone, and The Virginian. After making his big screen debut in 1962, Duvall would land a role in three episodes of the enormously popular The Fugitive in 1963. From the very beginning of his career, Duvall was appearing in widely seen productions and quickly started to make a name for himself. It wouldn't be long until he was consistently appearing in films like the 1968 Steve McQueen hit Bullitt, alongside John Wayne in True Grit in 1969, and then in M*A*S*H* as Major Frank Burns a year later.