On February 15, the great actor Robert Duvall passed away. Many barrels of printers' ink were spilled describing his remarkable career in the movies. But few of the articles and reviews mentioned the role that he was most proud of and the one he claimed to have enjoyed playing the most.

No, it wasn’t his role as the consigliere, Tom Hagen, in The Godfather I & II, nor was it his part as Lt. Kilgore in Apocalypse Now. Not even Mac Sledge in Tender Mercies, for which he won an Oscar, nor the character Boo Radley in the great movie To Kill a Mockingbird.

He said, “Augustus McCrae was my favorite character ever that I've played in films.” It was his role in the 1989 made-for-TV series Lonesome Dove, in which he played a retired Texas Ranger. Gus, as he was known to his friends, together with his retired Ranger sidekick, Woodrow Call, drove a herd of cattle 2,500 miles from the Rio Grande to Montana.

Lonesome Dove was a four-part series adapted from the 1985 Larry McMurtry novel of the same name. The novel is considered by many to be one of the great American novels of the 20th century. It won the Pulitzer Prize in 1986 and is a beloved book that often appeals to readers who are not normally fans of cowboy stories.

The series Lonesome Dove is a classic—one of the best made-for-TV series ever made—in the same category of excellence as Band of Brothers and Shōgun.

The two protagonists in Lonesome Dove are among the most captivating characters of all time: Augustus McCrae (Robert Duvall) and Woodrow Call (Tommy Lee Jones). They portray a picture rarely equaled on screen of the friendship, loyalty, trust, and even affection between two tough, brave men.

Augustus McCrae was not only a tough old former Ranger, but he also had a wonderful insight into women. It is one of the reasons that Lonesome Dove appeals to many women as well as to men. His relationship with the feminine star of the series, Lorie—whom all the cowboys fall in love with—is one of the highlights of the story.

Lorie is played by Diane Lane, who had a breakout role in the series before going on to a distinguished career of her own, starring in Unfaithful, Under the Tuscan Sun, and many other films.

In addition to Robert Duvall, there were several terrific actors in the series, including Tommy Lee Jones, Diane Lane, Danny Glover, Robert Urich, and Ricky Schroder. But Robert Duvall, in the role of Augustus McCrae, is the reason to watch the series. You will see him at his very best.