Legendary actor Tommy Lee Jones is back in the news after sharing a short but powerful statement on the death of his friend and former co-star Robert Duvall.
Duvall died on February 15 at age 95, at home in Virginia, according to reports from major outlets including the Associated Press. The next day, Jones sent a message to Parade magazine, calling Duvall’s passing the loss of a friend and saying that his work will stay with audiences forever.
How Lonesome Dove tied them together
For many viewers across the United States, the bond between Jones and Duvall will always come back to the 1989 miniseries Lonesome Dove. The series turned both men into household names and is still seen as one of the most important TV Westerns ever made.
Duvall played Augustus “Gus” McCrae. Jones played his partner, the serious and stubborn Woodrow F Call. Parade’s recent coverage notes that Duvall even pushed to do Lonesome Dove because he believed it could be the “Godfather of Westerns,” and he personally named Jones as the person he wanted across from him.
That choice shaped both careers. The series won multiple Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award, and it still airs and streams in the US. Parade points out that you can currently watch the full miniseries on Pluto TV, which is one reason many American viewers are opening it again right now.
What Tommy Lee Jones Has Given To American Cinema Over The Years
News of Duvall’s death has also reminded people what Jones has built over nearly five decades on screen. Born in Texas in 1946, he has moved from soap operas to some of the most-watched films in modern US cinema.
A few roles that still define him for US audiences include
- US Marshal Sam Gerard in The Fugitive, which won him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor
- Agent K in Men in Black, blending dry humor with straight-faced authority
- Sheriff Ed Tom Bell in No Country for Old Men, a role that showed his quiet, reflective side
These films play again and again on cable, rental platforms, and streaming in the US, which keeps his work in front of new viewers even when he is not in the weekly gossip cycle.
A tough personal chapter behind the headlines
Jones’s tribute to Duvall comes only weeks after a deep personal loss. On New Year’s Day, his daughter Victoria was found unresponsive at the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco and later pronounced dead at age 34.
Multiple reports from outlets such as TMZ, the Los Angeles Times, and The Guardian say authorities are treating it as a suspected drug overdose, and the investigation is still active.
Soon after, Jones and his family released a brief public statement thanking people for their kind words and asking for privacy while they grieve.
When you put that tragedy next to the loss of Duvall, it is clear this is a hard season for the actor. Yet his comment on his friend’s life stays focused on the work and on what Duvall leaves behind.
Why does this moment matter?
For US readers, the story around Tommy Lee Jones today is not only about one fresh quote. It is about how long careers in film stay alive through the roles, long after people are gone.
Duvall leaves behind a body of work that covers everything from The Godfather to small, character-driven stories. Jones has his own long list of roles that carry the same kind of weight.
If this news has put Jones back on your radar, this is the time to sit with that history. Watch Lonesome Dove if you have never seen it, or rewatch one of his classic films if you have!
