Claim: Robert Duvall was the main character in Tender Mercies.

Robert Selden Duvall -LRB- -LSB- duːˈvɔːl -RSB- born January 5 , 1931 -RRB- is an American actor and filmmaker . He has been nominated for seven Academy Awards -LRB- winning for his performance in Tender Mercies -RRB- , seven Golden Globes -LRB- winning four -RRB- , and has multiple nominations and one win each of the BAFTA , Screen Actors Guild Award , and Emmy Award . He received the National Medal of Arts in 2005 . Duvall has starred in numerous films and television series , including To Kill a Mockingbird -LRB- 1962 -RRB- , The Twilight Zone -LRB- 1963 -RRB- , The Outer Limits -LRB- 1964 -RRB- , Bullitt -LRB- 1968 -RRB- , True Grit -LRB- 1969 -RRB- , MASH -LRB- 1970 -RRB- , THX 1138 -LRB- 1971 -RRB- , Joe Kidd -LRB- 1972 -RRB- , The Godfather -LRB- 1972 -RRB- , The Godfather Part II -LRB- 1974 -RRB- , The Conversation -LRB- 1974 -RRB- , Network -LRB- 1976 -RRB- , Apocalypse Now -LRB- 1979 -RRB- , The Great Santini -LRB- 1979 -RRB- , Lonesome Dove -LRB- 1989 -RRB- , The Handmaid 's Tale -LRB- 1990 -RRB- , Rambling Rose -LRB- 1991 -RRB- , and Falling Down -LRB- 1993 -RRB- .   Duvall began appearing in theatre during the late 1950s , moving into television and film roles during the early 1960s , playing Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird -LRB- 1962 -RRB- and appearing in Captain Newman , M.D. -LRB- 1963 -RRB- . He landed many of his most famous roles during the early 1970s , such as Major Frank Burns in the blockbuster comedy MASH -LRB- 1970 -RRB- and the lead role in THX 1138 -LRB- 1971 -RRB- , as well as Horton Foote 's adaptation of William Faulkner 's Tomorrow -LRB- 1972 -RRB- , which was developed at The Actors Studio and is Duvall 's personal favorite . This was followed by a series of critically lauded performances in commercially successful films .   Since then , Duvall has continued to act in both film and television with such productions as Tender Mercies -LRB- 1983 -RRB- , The Natural -LRB- 1984 -RRB- , Colors -LRB- 1988 -RRB- , the television mini-series Lonesome Dove -LRB- 1989 -RRB- , Stalin -LRB- 1992 -RRB- , The Man Who Captured Eichmann -LRB- 1996 -RRB- , A Family Thing -LRB- 1996 -RRB- , The Apostle -LRB- 1997 -RRB- , A Civil Action -LRB- 1998 -RRB- , Deep Impact -LRB- 1998 -RRB- , Gods and Generals -LRB- 2003 -RRB- , Secondhand Lions -LRB- 2003 -RRB- , Broken Trail -LRB- 2006 -RRB- , Get Low -LRB- 2010 -RRB- , Jack Reacher -LRB- 2012 -RRB- , and The Judge -LRB- 2014 -RRB- .