02/19/2026
Legendary actor Robert Duvall died at age 95 on Feb. 15, and now his most infamous costar, Tommy Lee Jones, is speaking out on Hollywood’s massive loss.
“Even though I have lost a friend, Bob’s work will be with us indefinitely,” the 79-year-old actor tells Parade in a statement.
After Duvall’s death, many fans are looking back on his most iconic role as Augustus “Gus” McCrae in 1989’s Lonesome Dove, and therefore, of course, his relationship with his costar, who played Woodrow F. Call. The duo played an unlikely pair of opposites who became intimate friends, and the mini series’ reputation as one of the greatest Westerns has stood the test of time.
Duvall already had a successful film career before Lonesome Dove, but chose to make it his first on-screen project in nearly two decades because he believed it would be “the Godfather of Westerns,” and he knew he wanted Jones to be his foil.
“They had offered the part [or Gus] to James Garner. I said to my agent, ‘If you can get him to change parts, I’ll do it,'” he told INSP in 2024. Once he got the role, he made his next ask. “They asked, ‘Who do you want for Call?’ I said, ‘Tommy Lee Jones,'” he shared.
While Duvall was in many massive films, he said Lonesome Dove was one of his most recognized. “Wherever I go, people refer to that,” he said. “When I was made an honorary Texas Ranger, a woman came up to me. ‘Mr. Duvall, we watch this once a year. I wouldn’t let my daughter’s fiancé marry into the family until he’d seen Lonesome Dove.’ Especially in Texas, it’s kind of a landmark for people.”
When Duvall died on Feb. 15, 2026, his wife, Luciana Duvall, celebrated his commitment to his craft, writing on his page, “For each of his many roles, Bob gave everything to his characters and to the truth of the human spirit they represented. In doing so, he leaves something lasting and unforgettable to us all.”
You can stream the entire Lonesome Dove miniseries on PlutoTV.
SOURCE: EMY LACROIX, ENTERTAINMENT WRITER, PARADE
PHOTO: K*T NEWS AUSTIN