Why did late Godfather star Robert Duvall 'absolutely love' Scottish football?

In one of the most unexpected match-ups in Hollywood history, Godfather star Robert Duvall developed a love for Scottish football and decided to make a film about it.

The Oscar-winning actor died peacefully aged 95 at his home surrounded by “love and comfort”, his wife announced on Monday.

The Hollywood legend was known for classic films such as The Godfather I and II, Apocalypse Now, Tender Mercies, and The Handmaid’s Tale.

Remarkably, however, it was his passion project to play a Scottish football manager in the 2000 movie A Shot At Glory.

Duvall sits with the crowd to take in a 1-1 draw between Rangers and Kilmarnock at Ibrox. SNS Group

Filmed at Hampden Park, Rugby Park, Dumbarton’s old football ground, Boghead, and in the village of Crail in Fife, it tells the story of a football manager trying to take his underdog team, Kilnockie FC, to Scottish Cup glory.

This is while keeping a lid on problematic star player Ally McCoist, who is also married to his daughter, played by Kirsty Mitchell, while club owner Michael Keaton threatens to move the team to Ireland.

During filming, Duvall attended football games across the country and even served as a guest pundit for the 1999 Scottish Cup final between Rangers and Celtic.

In a clip shared on X, Duvall said the film is “about a smaller team that plays in the cup and almost beats a bigger team.”

McCoist fondly remembered his late co-star and director following the news of his death, saying he “absolutely loved” his time in Scotland.

“My phone started exploding just about 15, 20 minutes before the game at Macclesfield last night, and the first one to get me was Viv (McCoist) – I was gutted,” the Rangers legend said on TalkSport.

“The first thing you have got to say is what an innings. 95. But what a guy. What a man he was. When we did that film, A Shot at Glory, we filmed it all over Scotland, and it was just so much fun.

“He loved his dancing. He married Luciana. We met Luciana. Luciana was his fourth wife; she was some 40 years younger, and she was South American. He loved his dancing. Right up until his 80s, he was dancing and horse riding on his ranch. What a character, and what a life.

“We got a Christmas card every year from him and Luciana. It was wonderful.”

Robert Duvall soaks up the atmosphere at half-time between Celtic and Leeds at Parkhead in 1999. SNS Group

In 2012, while promoting the film Jack Reacher alongside Tom Cruise at the Manchester derby in the Premier League, he spoke about his love for Scottish Football once again.

He even mentioned, in front of a bewildered Cruise, how a certain Celtic legend helped him name his dog, ‘Jinky’.

He said: “I know a lot of the great players, I’ve seen them, and I can safely say the greatest character I have ever met, and I have met a lot, is wee Jimmy Johnstone from Scotland.

“Jinky, what a guy. I named a dog after him – a great guy, he died too young that guy. What a character, and a great player.”

European Cup winner Johnstone, who died in 2006, was voted Celtic’s best-ever player by club fans in 2002.

A Shot At Glory was released to mixed reviews – particularly for Duvall’s Scottish accent – but the late actor’s dedication to the cause could not be questioned.

“The lads that we did it with, a lot of them were pros, Airdrie and Raith Rovers, a lot of the boys played with, and he just became one of the boys”, McCoist added.

“He loved it. He absolutely loved it.”