Robert Redford
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Charles Robert Redford Jr. (born August 18, 1936) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of various accolades, including an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
from four nominations, a British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Awards, the Cecil B. DeMille Award and the
Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, along with the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by the president of the United States to recognize people who have made "an especially merit ...
. In 2014, ''
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'' named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Appearing on stage in the late 1950s, Redford's television career began in 1960, including an appearance on ''The Twilight Zone'' in 1962. He earned an Emmy nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his performance in ''The Voice of Charlie Pont'' (1962). His greatest Broadway success was as the stuffy newlywed husband of co-star Elizabeth Ashley's character in Neil Simon's '' Barefoot in the Park'' (1963). Redford made his film debut in '' War Hunt'' (1962). He starred with Natalie Wood in '' Inside Daisy Clover'' (1965) which won him a Golden Globe for the best new star. He starred alongside Paul Newman in '' Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'' (1969), which was a huge success and made him a major star. He had a critical and box office hit with '' Jeremiah Johnson'' (1972), and in 1973 he had the greatest hit of his career, the blockbuster crime caper '' The Sting'', a reunion with Paul Newman, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award; that same year, he also starred opposite
Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...
in '' The Way We Were''. The popular and acclaimed '' All the President's Men'' (1976) was a landmark film for Redford. In the 1980s, Redford began his career as a director with ''
Ordinary People ''Ordinary People'' is a 1980 American drama film directed by Robert Redford in his directorial debut. The screenplay by Alvin Sargent is based on the 1976 novel of the same name by Judith Guest. The film follows the disintegration of an uppe ...
'' (1980), which was one of the most critically and publicly acclaimed films of the decade, winning four Academy Awards including Best Picture and the
Academy Award for Best Director The Academy Award for Best Director (officially known as the Academy Award of Merit for Directing) is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given in honor of a film director who has exhibi ...
for Redford. He continued acting and starred in '' Brubaker'' (1980), as well as playing the male lead in '' Out of Africa'' (1985), which was an enormous box office success and won seven Oscars including Best Picture. He released his third film as a director, '' A River Runs Through It'', in 1992. He went on to receive Best Director and Best Picture nominations in 1995 for '' Quiz Show''. He received a second Academy Award—for Lifetime Achievement—in 2002. In 2010, he was made a chevalier of the ''
Légion d'Honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
''. Redford is also one of the founders of the
Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,6 ...
.


Early life

Redford was born on August 18, 1936, in
Santa Monica, California Santa Monica (; Spanish: ''Santa Mónica'') is a city in Los Angeles County, situated along Santa Monica Bay on California's South Coast. Santa Monica's 2020 U.S. Census population was 93,076. Santa Monica is a popular resort town, owing to ...
, to Martha Woodruff Redford (
née A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Hart; 1914–1955) and Charles Robert Redford (1914–1991), an accountant. He has a half brother,Stated on '' Inside the Actors Studio'', 2005 William, from his father's first marriage. Redford is of
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, Scottish, and Irish ancestry. His patrilineal great-great-grandfather, a
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Englishman named Elisha Redford, married Mary Ann McCreery, of Irish Catholic descent, in
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. They emigrated to
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in 1849, immediately settling in Stonington,
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. They had a son named Charles, the first in line to have been given the name. Regarding Redford's maternal lineage, the Harts were Irish from
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and the Greens were Scots-Irish who settled in the United States in the 18th century. Redford's family moved to Van Nuys,
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, while his father worked in El Segundo. Robert attended Van Nuys High School, where he was classmates with baseball pitcher Don Drysdale. He has described himself as having been a "bad" student, finding inspiration outside the classroom, and being interested in art and sports. He hit tennis balls with Pancho Gonzales at the
Los Angeles Tennis Club The Los Angeles Tennis Club (LATC) is a private tennis club opened in 1920 that was the host of the Pacific Southwest Championships from 1927 until 1974 and 1980 until 1983. It is located at 5851 Clinton Street, between Wilcox and Rossmore, one ...
to warm him up. After graduating from high school in 1954, he attended the
University of Colorado The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, and the University o ...
in Boulder for a year and a half, where he was a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. While there, he worked at a restaurant/bar called The Sink, where a painting of his likeness still figures prominently among the bar's murals. While at Colorado, Redford began drinking heavily and, as a result, lost his half-scholarship and was kicked out of school. He went on to travel in
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, living in
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,
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, and
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. He later studied painting at the Pratt Institute in
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and took classes at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (Class of 1959) in New York City.


Career


Theater

Redford's career, like that of many major stars who emerged in the 1950s, began in New York City, where the actor found work both on stage and in television. His Broadway debut was in a small role in ''Tall Story'' (1959), followed by parts in ''The Highest Tree'' (1959) and ''Sunday in New York'' (1961). His biggest Broadway success was as the stuffy newlywed husband of Elizabeth Ashley in the original 1963 cast of Neil Simon's '' Barefoot in the Park''.


Television

Starting in 1960, Redford appeared as a guest star on numerous television drama programs, including '' Naked City'', ''
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'', '' The Untouchables'', ''
The Americans ''The Americans'' is an American period spy drama television series created by Joe Weisberg that aired on the FX television network for six seasons from January 30, 2013, to May 30, 2018. Weisberg and Joel Fields also serve as showrunners a ...
'', '' Whispering Smith'', '' Perry Mason'', ''
Alfred Hitchcock Presents ''Alfred Hitchcock Presents'' is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. It features dramas, thrillers and mysteries. Between 1962 and 1965 it was r ...
'', '' Route 66'', '' Dr. Kildare'', '' Playhouse 90'', '' Tate'', '' The Twilight Zone'', '' The Virginian'', and '' Captain Brassbound's Conversion'', among others. In 1960, Redford was cast as Danny Tilford, a mentally disturbed young man trapped in the wreckage of his family garage, in "Breakdown", one of the last episodes of the syndicated adventure series, '' Rescue 8'', starring Jim Davis and
Lang Jeffries Lang Jeffries (June 7, 1930 – February 12, 1987) was a Canadian-American television and film actor. Biography From 1958 to 1960, Jeffries starred as Skip Johnson in the adventure television series ''Rescue 8''. He starred in several American ...
. Redford earned an Emmy nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his performance in ''The Voice of Charlie Pont'' (ABC, 1962). One of his last television appearances until 2019 was on October 7, 1963, on '' Breaking Point,'' an ABC medical drama about psychiatry.


Film

Redford made his screen debut in '' Tall Story'' (1960) in a minor role. The film's stars were Anthony Perkins,
Jane Fonda Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress, activist, and former fashion model. Recognized as a film icon, Fonda is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Jane Fonda, various accolades including two ...
(her debut), and Ray Walston. After his Broadway success, he was cast in larger feature roles in movies. In 1962 Redford got his second film role in '' War Hunt,'' and was soon after casting alongside screen legend Alec Guinness in the war comedy '' Situation Hopeless ... But Not Serious'', in which he played an American soldier falsely imprisoned by a German civilian even after the war has ended. In '' Inside Daisy Clover'' (1965), which won him a Golden Globe for best new star, he played a bisexual movie star who marries starlet Natalie Wood, and rejoined her along with Charles Bronson for Sydney Pollack's '' This Property Is Condemned'' (1966) — again, as her lover, though this time in a film which achieved even greater success. The same year saw his first teaming (on equal footing) with
Jane Fonda Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress, activist, and former fashion model. Recognized as a film icon, Fonda is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Jane Fonda, various accolades including two ...
, in Arthur Penn's '' The Chase''. This film marked the only time Redford would star with Marlon Brando. Fonda and Redford were paired again in the popular big-screen version of '' Barefoot in the Park'' (1967) and were again co-stars many years later in Pollack's '' The Electric Horseman'' (1979), followed 38 years later with a Netflix feature, ''
Our Souls at Night ''Our Souls at Night'' is a 2017 American romantic drama film directed by Ritesh Batra and written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber. It is based on the novel of same name by Kent Haruf. The film stars Robert Redford, Jane Fonda, Matthias ...
''. After this initial success, Redford became concerned about his blond male stereotype image and turned down roles in '' Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?'' and '' The Graduate''. Redford found the niche he was looking for in George Roy Hill's '' Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'' (1969), scripted by
William Goldman William Goldman (August 12, 1931 – November 16, 2018) was an American novelist, playwright, and screenwriter. He first came to prominence in the 1950s as a novelist before turning to screenwriting. He won Academy Awards for his screenplays '' ...
, in which he was paired for the first time with Paul Newman. The film was a huge success and made him a major bankable star, cementing his screen image as an intelligent, reliable, sometimes sardonic good guy. While Redford did not receive an Academy Award or Golden Globe nomination for playing the Sundance Kid, he did win a British Academy of Film and Television Award (BAFTA) for that role and his parts in '' Downhill Racer'' (1969) and '' Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here'' (1969). The latter two films and the subsequent '' Little Fauss and Big Halsy'' (1970), and '' The Hot Rock'' (1972) were not commercially successful. The political satire '' The Candidate'' (1972) was a moderate box office and critical success. Starting in 1973, Redford experienced an almost-unparalleled four-year run of box office success. The western '' Jeremiah Johnson''s (1972) box office earnings from early 1973 until its second re-release in 1975 would have placed it as the No. 2 highest-grossing film of 1973.Michael Gebert, ''The Encyclopedia of Movie Awards'', St. Martin's Paperbacks, New York, 1996, p. 305. The romantic period drama with
Barbra Streisand Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...
, '' The Way We Were'' (1973), was the 11th highest-grossing film of 1973. The crime caper reunion with Paul Newman, '' The Sting'' (1973), became the top-grossing film of 1974Michael Gebert, ''The Encyclopedia of Movie Awards'', St. Martin's Paperbacks, New York, 1996, pg. 315. and one of the top 20 highest-grossing movies of all time when adjusted for inflation, plus landed Redford the lone nomination of his career for the Academy Award for Best Actor. The romantic drama '' The Great Gatsby'' (1974) was the No. 8 highest-grossing film of 1974. ''Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'' (1969) placed as the No. 10 highest-grossing film for 1974 as it was re-released due to the popularity of ''The Sting.'' In 1974 Redford became the first performer since
Bing Crosby Harry Lillis "Bing" Crosby Jr. (May 3, 1903 – October 14, 1977) was an American singer, musician and actor. The first multimedia star, he was one of the most popular and influential musical artists of the 20th century worldwide. He was a ...
in 1946 to have three films in a year's top ten grossing titles. Each year between 1974 and 1976, movie exhibitors voted Redford Hollywood's top box-office star. In 1975, Redford's hit movies included 1920s aviation drama, '' The Great Waldo Pepper'' (1975), and the spy thriller '' Three Days of the Condor'' (1975), alongside Faye Dunaway, which finished at Nos. 16 and 17 in box office grosses for 1975, respectively.Michael Gebert, ''The Encyclopedia of Movie Awards'', St. Martin's Paperbacks, New York, 1996, pg. 321. In 1976 he co-starred with
Dustin Hoffman Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor and filmmaker. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable characters. He is th ...
in the No. 2 highest-grossing film for the year, the critically acclaimed '' All the President's Men''.Michael Gebert, ''The Encyclopedia of Movie Awards'', St. Martin's Paperbacks, New York, 1996, pg. 328. In 1975, 1977 and 1978, Redford won the Golden Globe for Favorite World Film Star, a popularity-based award that is no longer awarded. '' All the President's Men'' (1976), in which Redford and Hoffman play Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, was a landmark film for Redford. Not only was he the executive producer and co-star, but the film's serious subject matter — the
Watergate scandal The Watergate scandal was a major political scandal in the United States involving the administration of President Richard Nixon from 1972 to 1974 that led to Nixon's resignation. The scandal stemmed from the Nixon administration's contin ...
— and its attempt to create a realistic portrayal of journalism also reflected the actor's offscreen concerns for political causes. The film landed eight Academy Award nominations, including for Best Picture and Best Director ( Alan J. Pakula), while winning for the Best Screenplay (Goldman). It actually won the New York Film Critics Award for Best Picture and Best Director. In 1977, Redford appeared in a segment of the war film '' A Bridge Too Far'' (1977). Then he took a two-year hiatus from movies, before starring as past-his-prime rodeo star in the adventure-romance '' The Electric Horseman'' (1979). This film reunited him with
Jane Fonda Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress, activist, and former fashion model. Recognized as a film icon, Fonda is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Jane Fonda, various accolades including two ...
, finishing at No. 9 in the box office for 1980.Michael Gebert, ''The Encyclopedia of Movie Awards'', St. Martin's Paperbacks, New York, 1996, pg. 355. Later that year he appeared in the prison drama '' Brubaker'' (1980), playing a prison warden attempting to reform the system. His directorial debut, ''
Ordinary People ''Ordinary People'' is a 1980 American drama film directed by Robert Redford in his directorial debut. The screenplay by Alvin Sargent is based on the 1976 novel of the same name by Judith Guest. The film follows the disintegration of an uppe ...
'', which followed the disintegration of an upper-class American family after the death of a son, was one of the most critically and publicly acclaimed films of the decade, winning four Oscars, including Best Director for Redford himself, and Best Picture. Soon after that, he starred in the baseball drama ''
The Natural ''The Natural'' is a 1952 novel about baseball by Bernard Malamud, and is his debut novel. The story follows Roy Hobbs, a baseball prodigy whose career is sidetracked after being shot by a woman whose motivation remains mysterious. The story mo ...
'' (1984). Sydney Pollack's '' Out of Africa'' (1985), with Redford in the male lead role opposite Meryl Streep, became a large box office success (combined 1985 and 1986 grosses placed it at No. 5 for 1986),Michael Gebert, ''The Encyclopedia of Movie Awards'', St. Martin's Paperbacks, New York, 1996, pg. 401. won a Golden Globe for Best Picture, and won seven Oscars, including Best Picture. Streep was nominated for Best Actress but Redford did not receive a nomination. The movie proved to be Redford's biggest success of the decade and Redford and Pollack's most successful of their seven movies together. Redford's next film, '' Legal Eagles'' (1986) alongside Debra Winger, was only a minor success at the box office. After that, his second directorial project, '' The Milagro Beanfield War'' (1987), failed to generate the same level of attention as ''Ordinary People''. Redford continued as a major star throughout the 1990s and 2000s. He released his third film as a director, '' A River Runs Through It'', in 1992, which was a return to mainstream success for Redford as a director and brought a young Brad Pitt to greater prominence. In 1993, he played what became one of his most popular and recognized roles, starring in '' Indecent Proposal'' as a millionaire businessman who tests a couple's morals; the film became one of the year's biggest hits. He co-starred with Michelle Pfeiffer in the newsroom romance '' Up Close & Personal'' (1996), and with Kristin Scott Thomas and a young Scarlett Johansson in '' The Horse Whisperer'' (1998), which he also directed. Redford also continued work in films with political contexts, such as ''
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'' (1990), playing Jack Weil, a professional gambler in 1959 Cuba during the Revolution, as well as '' Sneakers'' (1992), in which he co-starred with River Phoenix and Sidney Poitier, his first teaming with the latter. He appeared as a disgraced Army general sent to prison in the prison drama '' The Last Castle'' (2001), directed by Rod Lurie. In the same year, Redford reteamed with Brad Pitt for '' Spy Game'', another success for the pair but with Redford switching this time from director to actor. During that time, he planned to direct and star in a sequel of ''The Candidate'' but the project never happened. Redford, a leading environmental activist, narrated the IMAX documentary '' Sacred Planet'' (2004), a sweeping journey across the globe to some of its most exotic and endangered places. In ''
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'' (2004), a thriller co-starring Helen Mirren, Redford was a successful businessman whose kidnapping unearths the secrets and inadequacies that led to his achieving the American Dream. Redford stepped back into producing with '' The Motorcycle Diaries'' (2004), a coming-of-age road film about a young medical student, Ernesto "Che" Guevara, and his friend Alberto Granado. It also explored the political and social issues of South America that influenced Guevara and shaped his future. With five years spent on the film's making, Redford was credited by director Walter Salles for being instrumental in getting it made and released. Back in front of the camera, Redford received good notices for his role in director
Lasse Hallström Lars Sven "Lasse" Hallström (; born 2 June 1946) is a Swedish film director. He first became known for directing almost all the music videos by the pop group ABBA, and subsequently became a feature film director. He was nominated for an Academ ...
's '' An Unfinished Life'' (2005) as a cantankerous rancher who is forced to take in his estranged daughter-in-law (Jennifer Lopez)—whom he blames for his son's death—and the granddaughter he never knew he had when they fled an abusive relationship. The film, which sat on the shelf for many months while its distributor Miramax was restructured, was generally dismissed as clichéd and overly sentimental. Meanwhile, Redford returned to familiar territory when he reteamed with Meryl Streep 22 years after they starred in ''Out of Africa'', for his personal project ''
Lions for Lambs ''Lions for Lambs'' is a 2007 American war drama film directed by Robert Redford about the connection between a platoon of United States soldiers in Afghanistan, a U.S. senator, a reporter, and a Californian college professor. It stars Redfor ...
'' (2007), which also starred Tom Cruise. After a great deal of hype, the film opened to mixed reviews and disappointing box office. Redford appeared in the 2011 documentary ''
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'' by
Cindy Meehl Cindy Meehl is an American documentary filmmaker. Her first film, '' Buck'', was released on June 17, 2011, after a successful set of showings at U.S. film festivals including the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Biography Early life Cindy Meehl st ...
, where he discussed his experiences with title subject Buck Brannaman during the production of '' The Horse Whisperer''. In 2012, Redford directed '' The Company You Keep'', in which he starred as a former Weather Underground activist who goes on the run after a journalist discovers his identity. In 2013, he starred in ''
All Is Lost ''All Is Lost'' is a 2013 survival drama film written and directed by J. C. Chandor. The film stars Robert Redford as a man lost at sea. Redford is the only cast member, and the film has 51 spoken English words. ''All Is Lost'' is Chandor's sec ...
'', directed by J.C. Chandor, about a man lost at sea. He received acclaim for his performance in the film, in which he is its only cast member and there is almost no dialogue. Redford was nominated for a Golden Globe, his first Best Actor nomination for a Golden Globe, and won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor, his first time winning an acting honour from that group (he had been nominated in 1969 for ''Downhill Racer''). In April 2014, Redford played the main antagonist of the Marvel Studios superhero film '' Captain America: The Winter Soldier,'' Alexander Pierce, the head of
S.H.I.E.L.D. S.H.I.E.L.D. is a fictional espionage, special law enforcement, and counter-terrorism agency appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in ''Strange Tales'' #135 (August 1965), it often ...
and leader of the Hydra cell operating the Triskelion. Redford was a co-producer and, with Emma Thompson and Nick Nolte, costar of the 2015 Broad Green Pictures film ''A Walk in the Woods'', based on
Bill Bryson William McGuire Bryson (; born 8 December 1951) is an American–British journalist and author. Bryson has written a number of nonfiction books on topics including travel, the English language, and science. Born in the United States, he has b ...
's book of the same name. Redford had optioned the film rights for the book from Bryson after reading it more than a decade earlier, with the intent of costarring in it with Paul Newman, but had shelved the project after Newman's death. The same year, he played news anchor Dan Rather in James Vanderbilt's ''
Truth Truth is the property of being in accord with fact or reality.Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionarytruth 2005 In everyday language, truth is typically ascribed to things that aim to represent reality or otherwise correspond to it, such as belief ...
'' alongside Cate Blanchett. In 2016, he took the supporting role of Mr. Meacham in the Disney remake '' Pete's Dragon''. Redford starred in ''The Discovery'' and ''
Our Souls at Night ''Our Souls at Night'' is a 2017 American romantic drama film directed by Ritesh Batra and written by Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber. It is based on the novel of same name by Kent Haruf. The film stars Robert Redford, Jane Fonda, Matthias ...
'', both released on
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streaming in 2017. The latter film, which was also produced by Redford, reunited him with co-star
Jane Fonda Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is an American actress, activist, and former fashion model. Recognized as a film icon, Fonda is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Jane Fonda, various accolades including two ...
for the fourth time and garnered positive reviews. Redford played bank robber Forrest Tucker in the drama film ''
The Old Man & the Gun ''The Old Man & the Gun'' is a 2018 American biographical crime film written and directed by David Lowery, about Forrest Tucker, a career criminal and prison escape artist. The script is loosely based on David Grann's 2003 article in ''The Ne ...
'', which was released in September 2018, and for which he received a Golden Globe nomination. In August 2018, Redford announced his retirement from acting after completion of the film, though the following month, Redford stated that he "regretted" announcing his retirement because "you never know". He briefly reprised his role as Alexander Pierce for a
cameo appearance A cameo role, also called a cameo appearance and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief appearance of a well-known person in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking ones, and are commonly ei ...
in '' Avengers: Endgame'', filmed in 2017 prior to the completion of the former film.


Author

In 1976, Robert Redford published ''The Outlaw Trail: A Journey Through Time''. Redford states, "The Outlaw Trail. It was a name that fascinated me - a geographical anchor in Western folklore. Whether real or imagined, it was a name that, for me, held a kind of magic, a freedom, a mystery. I wanted to see it in much the same way as the outlaws did, by horse and by foot, and document the adventure with text and photographs."


Filmography


Director

Redford had long harbored ambitions to work on both sides of the camera. As early as 1969, Redford had served as the executive producer for '' Downhill Racer''. His first film as director was 1980's Best Picture winner ''
Ordinary People ''Ordinary People'' is a 1980 American drama film directed by Robert Redford in his directorial debut. The screenplay by Alvin Sargent is based on the 1976 novel of the same name by Judith Guest. The film follows the disintegration of an uppe ...
'', a drama about the slow disintegration of an upper-middle class family, for which he won the
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
for Best Director. Redford was credited with obtaining a powerful dramatic performance from
Mary Tyler Moore Mary Tyler Moore (December 29, 1936 – January 25, 2017) was an American actress, producer, and social advocate. She is best known for her roles on '' The Dick Van Dyke Show'' (1961–1966) and '' The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (1970–1977), whi ...
, as well as superb work from Donald Sutherland and Timothy Hutton, who also won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. Redford did not direct again until '' The Milagro Beanfield War'' (1988), a well-crafted, though not commercially successful, screen version of John Nichols's acclaimed novel of the Southwest. ''The Milagro Beanfield War'' is the story of the people of Milagro, New Mexico (based on the real town of Truchas in northern New Mexico), overcoming big developers who set about to ruin their community and force them out with tax increases. Other directorial projects have included the period drama '' A River Runs Through It'' (1992), based on
Norman Maclean Norman Fitzroy Maclean (December 23, 1902August 2, 1990) was a Scottish-American professor at the University of Chicago who became, following his retirement, a major figure in American literature. Maclean is best known for his collection of n ...
's novella, and the exposé '' Quiz Show'' (1994), about the quiz show scandal of the late 1950s. In the latter film, Redford worked from a screenplay by Paul Attanasio with noted cinematographer Michael Ballhaus and a strong cast that featured Paul Scofield, John Turturro, Rob Morrow, and Ralph Fiennes. Redford also directed Matt Damon and Will Smith in '' The Legend of Bagger Vance'' (2000). In 2010, Redford released '' The Conspirator'', a period drama revolving around the assassination of
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation throu ...
. In 2012, he directed the political thriller '' The Company You Keep'' starring himself, Shia LaBeouf and Julie Christie.


Awards

Redford attended the
University of Colorado The University of Colorado (CU) is a system of public universities in Colorado. It consists of four institutions: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, University of Colorado Denver, and the University o ...
in the 1950s and received an honorary degree in 1988. In 1989, the National Audubon Society awarded Redford its highest honor, the Audubon Medal. In 1995, he received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Bard College. He was a 2002 Lifetime Achievement Award/Honorary Oscar recipient at the 74th Academy Awards. In 1996, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts. In December 2005, he received the Kennedy Center Honors for his contributions to American culture. The honors recipients are recognized for their lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts: whether in dance, music, theater, opera, motion pictures or television. In 2008, he was awarded
The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize or Gish Prize is given annually to "a man or woman who has made an outstanding contribution to the beauty of the world and to mankind's enjoyment and understanding of life." It is among the most prestigious and on ...
, one of the richest prizes in the arts, given annually to "a man or woman who has made an outstanding contribution to the beauty of the world and to mankind's enjoyment and understanding of life." The University of Southern California (USC) School of Dramatic Arts announced the first annual ''Robert Redford Award for Engaged Artists'' in 2009. According to the school's website, the award was created "to honor those who have distinguished themselves not only in the exemplary quality, skill and innovation of their work, but also in their public commitment to social responsibility, to increasing awareness of global issues and events, and to inspiring and empowering young people." Redford received an honorary
Doctor of Fine Arts Doctor of Fine Arts (D.F.A.) is a doctoral degree in fine arts, may be given as an honorary degree (a degree ''honoris causa'') or an earned professional degree (in the UK). Description Doctoral programmes leading to DFAs are of equivalent level ...
from
Brown University Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States, founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providenc ...
at the 240th Commencement exercises on May 25, 2008, with the actor also speaking at the ceremonies. On October 14, 2010, Redford was appointed ''chevalier'' of the
Légion d'honneur The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
by President
Nicolas Sarkozy Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa (; ; born 28 January 1955) is a French politician who served as President of France from 2007 to 2012. Born in Paris, he is of Hungarian, Greek Jewish, and French origin. Mayor of Neuilly-sur-Se ...
. He was a 2010 recipient of the New Mexico Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts. On May 24, 2015, Redford delivered the commencement address and received an honorary degree from
Colby College Colby College is a private liberal arts college in Waterville, Maine. It was founded in 1813 as the Maine Literary and Theological Institution, then renamed Waterville College after the city where it resides. The donations of Christian philanth ...
in Waterville, Maine. On November 22, 2016, President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
honored Redford with a
Presidential Medal of Freedom The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, along with the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by the president of the United States to recognize people who have made "an especially merit ...
. In 2017,
Golden Lion The Golden Lion ( it, Leone d'oro) is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is now regarded as one of the film industry's most prestigious and distinguis ...
for Lifetime Achievement at the 74th
Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival h ...
. On February 22, 2019, Redford received the Honorary César at the 44th César Awards in Paris.


Sundance Institute

With the financial proceeds of his acting success, starting with his salaries from '' Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'' and '' Downhill Racer'', Redford bought a ski area on the east side of Mount Timpanogos northeast of Provo, Utah, called "Timp Haven". He renamed it "
Sundance A Sun Dance is a Native American ceremony. Sun dance or Sundance may also refer to: Places ;Canada * Sundance, Calgary, Alberta, a neighbourhood * Sundance, Manitoba, a ghost town ;United States * Sundance, New Mexico, a census-designated pla ...
" after his '' Sundance Kid'' character. Redford's wife Lola was from Utah and they had built a home in the area in 1963. Portions of the movie '' Jeremiah Johnson'' (1972), a film which is both one of Redford's favorites and one that has heavily influenced him, was shot near the ski area. Redford went on to found the
Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival (formerly Utah/US Film Festival, then US Film and Video Festival) is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,6 ...
, which became the country's largest festival for independent films. In 2008, Sundance exhibited 125 feature-length films from 34 countries, with more than 50,000 attendees,
Salt Lake City Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the capital and most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in Utah. With a population of 200,133 in 2020, th ...
, and Park City, Utah. Robert Redford also founded the Sundance Institute; Sundance Cinemas; Sundance Catalog; and the Sundance Channel; all in and around Park City, 30 miles (48 km) north of the Sundance ski area. Redford also owned a Park City restaurant, Zoom, that closed in May 2017.


Wildwood Enterprises, Inc.

Robert Redford is the co-owner of
Wildwood Enterprises, Inc Wildwood Enterprises, Inc., is a film and television production company. It was founded by actor and director Robert Redford and producer Bill Holderman. It is sometimes credited as South Fork Pictures. In 1987, the company had partnered with Cine ...
., with Bill Holderman, producer, with the following film credits: ''Lions for Lambs''; ''Quiz Show''; ''A River Runs Through It''; ''Ordinary People''; ''The Horse Whisperer''; ''The Legend of Bagger Vance''; ''Slums of Beverly Hills''; ''The Motorcycle Diaries''; and ''The Conspirator''.


Sundance Productions

Redford is the president and co-founder of Sundance Productions, with Laura Michalchyshyn. Most recently, Sundance Productions produced '' Chicagoland (CNN)'', ''Cathedrals of Culture'' ( Berlin Film Festival), '' The March (PBS)'' and Emmy nominee ''All The President's Men Revisited'' (
Discovery Discovery may refer to: * Discovery (observation), observing or finding something unknown * Discovery (fiction), a character's learning something unknown * Discovery (law), a process in courts of law relating to evidence Discovery, The Discove ...
), Isabella Rossellini's ''Green Porno Live!'', and ''To Russia With Love'' on
Epix Epix (pronounced ''epics'' and stylized as P) is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by the Epix Entertainment LLC subsidiary of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), a subsidiary of Amazon's MGM Holdings, Inc. The channel's ...
.


Independent films

Since founding the nonprofit Sundance Institute in Park City, Utah, in 1981, Redford has been deeply involved with
independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is produced outside the major film studio system, in addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies (or, i ...
. Through its various workshop programs and popular film festival, Sundance has provided much-needed support for independent filmmakers. In 1995, Redford signed a deal with Showtime to start a 24-hour cable television channel devoted to airing independent films. The Sundance Channel premiered on February 29, 1996.


Personal life

On August 9, 1958, in Las Vegas, Nevada, Redford married Lola Van Wagenen, who dropped out of college to marry him. A Mormon ceremony took place on September 12 at Lola's grandmother's home. They had four children: Scott Anthony Redford (September 1, 1959 – November 17, 1959), Shauna Jean Redford (born November 15, 1960), David James Redford (May 5, 1962 – October 16, 2020), and Amy Hart Redford (born October 22, 1970). They divorced in 1985. Scott Redford died of sudden infant death syndrome at the age of months and is buried at Provo City Cemetery in Provo, Utah. Shauna Redford is a painter and married to journalist Eric Schlosser. James Redford was a writer and producer, while Amy Redford is an actress, director, and producer. Redford has seven grandchildren. In July 2009, Redford married his longtime partner, Sibylle Szaggars, at the Louis C. Jacob Hotel in
Hamburg Hamburg (, ; nds, label=Hamburg German, Low Saxon, Hamborg ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg (german: Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg; nds, label=Low Saxon, Friee un Hansestadt Hamborg),. is the List of cities in Germany by popul ...
, Germany. She had moved in with Redford in the 1990s and shared his home in
Sundance, Utah Sundance Resort, also known as Sundance Mountain Resort, is a ski resort located northeast of Provo, Utah. It includes more than on the slopes of Mount Timpanogos in Utah's Wasatch Range. Alpine skiing began on the site in 1944. Actor Robe ...
. In May 2011,
Alfred A. Knopf Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. () is an American publishing house that was founded by Alfred A. Knopf Sr. and Blanche Knopf in 1915. Blanche and Alfred traveled abroad regularly and were known for publishing European, Asian, and Latin American writers i ...
published ''Robert Redford: The Biography'' by
Michael Feeney Callan Michael Feeney Callan is an Irish novelist and poet. An award winner for his short fiction and also for non-fiction, he joined BBC television drama as a story editor, and wrote screenplays for '' The Professionals'', and for American television. ...
, written over fifteen years with Redford's input and drawn from his personal papers and diaries.


Political activity

Redford supports environmentalism, Native American rights,
LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term ...
rights, and the arts. He has also supported advocacy groups, such as the Political Action Committee of the Directors Guild of America. Redford has supported Republicans, including Brent Cornell Morris in his unsuccessful campaign for the Republican nomination for Utah's 3rd congressional district in 1990. Redford also supported Gary Herbert, another Republican and a friend, in Herbert's successful 2004 campaign to be elected Utah's Lieutenant Governor. Herbert later became
Governor of Utah A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political r ...
. As an avid environmentalist, Redford is a trustee of the Natural Resources Defense Council. He endorsed Democratic President
Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
for re-election in 2012. Redford is the first quote on the back cover of
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
's book ''
Crippled America ''Crippled America: How to Make America Great Again'' is a non-fiction book by businessman (and later 45th president of the United States) Donald Trump, first published in hardcover by Simon & Schuster in 2015. A revised edition was subseque ...
'' (2015), saying of Trump's candidacy, "I'm glad he's in there, being the way he is, and saying what he says and the ways he says it, I think shakes things up and I think that is very needed." A representative later clarified that Redford's statement, taken from a longer conversation with Larry King, was not intended to endorse Trump for president. In 2019, Redford penned an op-ed in which he referred to Trump's administration as a "monarchy in disguise" and stated " 's time for Trump to go." Redford later co-authored another op-ed in which he criticized Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic while also citing the collective public response to the pandemic as a model for how to respond to climate change. He has criticized the decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. In July 2020, Redford penned an op-ed in which he stated President Trump lacks a "moral compass." In the same piece, he announced that he would be voting for Joe Biden in the
2020 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2020 lists the national/ federal elections held in 2020 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *5 January: ** ...
. Redford is opposed to the TransCanada Corporation's
Keystone Pipeline The Keystone Pipeline System is an oil pipeline system in Canada and the United States, commissioned in 2010 and owned by TC Energy and as of 31 March 2020 the Government of Alberta. It runs from the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin in Albert ...
. In 2013, he was identified by its CEO, Russ Girling, for leading the anti-pipeline protest movement. In April 2014, Redford, a Pitzer College Trustee, and Pitzer College President Laura Skandera Trombley announced that the college will divest fossil fuel stocks from its endowment; at the time, it was the higher education institution with the largest endowment in the US to make this commitment. The press conference was held at the LA Press Club. In November 2012, Pitzer launched the Robert Redford Conservancy for Southern California Sustainability at Pitzer College. The Redford Conservancy educates the next generation of students to create solutions for the most challenging and urgent sustainability problems.


References


Further reading

*


External links

*
Robert Redford
on IBDB (Internet Broadway Database)
Sundance Founder Robert Redford on His Life, His Activism and the Importance of Independent Films
– ''
Democracy Now ''Democracy Now!'' is an hour-long American TV, radio, and Internet news program hosted by journalists Amy Goodman (who also acts as the show's executive producer), Juan González, and Nermeen Shaikh. The show, which airs live each weekday at ...
'', January 2010
Robert Redford appearances on C-SPAN

Portrait of Robert Redford advocating against the demolition of Santa Monica Pier while filming "The Sting", Los Angeles, California, 1973.
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
Photographic Archive (Collection 1429). UCLA Library Special Collections,
Charles E. Young Research Library The Charles E. Young Research Library is one of the largest libraries on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles in Westwood, Los Angeles, California. It initially opened in 1964, and a second phase of construction was completed ...
,
University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the Californ ...
. {{DEFAULTSORT:Redford, Robert 1936 births 20th-century American male actors 20th Century Studios contract players 21st-century American male actors Academy Honorary Award recipients Activists from California American Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni American environmentalists American film producers American male film actors American male television actors American people of English descent American people of Irish descent American people of Scottish descent American philanthropists Best Actor BAFTA Award winners Best Directing Academy Award winners Best Director Golden Globe winners California Democrats Cecil B. DeMille Award Golden Globe winners César Honorary Award recipients Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur David di Donatello winners Directors Guild of America Award winners Film directors from Los Angeles Film festival founders Kennedy Center honorees LGBT rights activists from the United States Living people Male actors from California Male actors from Santa Monica, California Male Western (genre) film actors New Star of the Year (Actor) Golden Globe winners Pratt Institute alumni Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients United States National Medal of Arts recipients University of Colorado Boulder alumni Van Nuys High School alumni Warner Bros. contract players