Robert Redford

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Lore & Background

Redford began his career on television in the late 1950s, appearing in anthology series such as Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Twilight Zone. He made his Broadway debut in Neil Simon's comedy Barefoot in the Park (1963) before taking film roles in War Hunt (1962) and Inside Daisy Clover (1965). Redford achieved Hollywood stardom with Barefoot in the Park (1967), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), Downhill Racer (1969), Jeremiah Johnson (1972), The Candidate (1972), and The Sting (1973), with the last earning him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor. His stardom continued with films such as The Way We Were (1973), The Great Gatsby (1974), Three Days of the Condor (1975), All the President's Men (1976), The Natural (1984) and Out of Africa (1985). Later credits include Sneakers (1992), Indecent Proposal (1993), All Is Lost (2013), and The Old Man & the Gun (2018). He also played Alexander Pierce in the MCU films Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), the latter serving as his final film role. Redford made his directorial debut with the family drama Ordinary People (1980), which won four Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director. His later directing credits include The Milagro Beanfield War (1988), A River Runs Through It (1992), Quiz Show (1994), The Horse Whisperer (1998) and The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000). A major advocate for independent cinema, Redford co-founded the Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival in 1978, helping to foster a new generation of filmmakers. Beyond his artistic career, Redford was noted for his environmental activism, his support of Native American and Indigenous rights, and his advocacy for LGBTQ equality.

Reader's Guide

Robert Redford's significance lies in his dual impact as a leading man of the American New Wave and as a champion of independent cinema. His performances in films like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Sting defined a generation of filmmaking, while his directorial debut Ordinary People won four Academy Awards. Redford's legacy is perhaps most enduring through the Sundance Institute and Sundance Film Festival, which he co-founded in 1978, providing a platform for emerging filmmakers. His career spanned more than six decades, earning him numerous honors including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016. Redford also used his platform for environmental activism, support of Native American and Indigenous rights, and advocacy for LGBTQ equality, cementing his role as a cultural figure beyond entertainment.

Did You Know?

• Redford had a mild case of polio when he was 11.
• He was classmates with future professional baseball pitcher Don Drysdale at Van Nuys High School.
• Redford lost his half-scholarship and was expelled from the University of Colorado after he began drinking heavily.
• He studied painting at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and took classes at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
• In 1974, Redford became the first performer since Bing Crosby in 1946 to have three films in a year's top-ten-grossing titles.