Robert Duvall Once Revealed the Role He Wanted Most — and Why It Never Happened

For most of his 60-plus-year career, Robert Duvall let the work come to him. The roles that defined his legacy — sprawling epics, quiet character studies, unforgettable men — arrived without much chasing. But in an under-the-radar interview from 1992, Duvall admitted there were a handful of characters he actively wanted to play. One, in particular, stayed with him for years, and never came to pass.

In his candid conversation with writer Bill DeYoung, Duvall revealed his fascination with a morally complex historical figure...