Robert Redford

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RRedf Last Updated: 9/16/25
Real Name: Charles Robert Redford, Jr.
Born: August 18, 1936
Died: September 16, 2025 (aged 89)
Height: 5' 6"

Grade: A-
Actor/Movie Star: 0%-100%
Prime Years: 1969, 1972-76, 1980, 1984-86, 1993, 1998, and 2005
Most Famous Film: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Most Infamous Film: The Last Castle (2001)
Masterpiece: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) and The Horse Whisperer (1998)
Outstanding: The Great Gatsby (1974) and The Natural (1984)
Honorable: Downhill Racer (1969), The Candidate (1972), The Great Waldo Pepper (1975), Brubaker (1980), Legal Eagles (1986), Indecent Proposal (1993), and An Unfinished Life (2005)

Opinion: Everybody loves Robert Redford's hair. They want to touch and mess with it. He's certainly one of the handsomest men in Hollywood history. Synonymous with environmental causes and national parks, I view him as the ultimate liberal with a great knack for creating legends in the mythological sense such as The Great Gatsby, which is the most underrated movie of his career, and The Natural. A big believer in nostalgia, he acts virtually the same in almost everything and can be superficial at times, but I don't have a problem with it. In short, Robert Redford is a true movie star. I'll always think of him as Jay Gatsby. He's also a fine director, having done Ordinary People, A River Run Through It, and Quiz Show.

Confirmed: Of Scottish, Irish, and English heritage, was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Almost died during childbirth because of his mother's health struggles with blood disorder which conflicted with the principles of Christian Science. Was inspired by her stories of the West, having been taken to Yosemite National Park and Navajo reservations in Arizona. Was a big fan of movies, especially those from Disney such as Bambi and anything with animals. Had difficulties with his father who was an organization man for Standard Oil (This Property Is Condemned may explain it well).

As a child, liked the outdoors, preferred athletics (track, tennis, softball, and swimming) to academics, and had trouble sitting still. Was taken to the library weekly. Liked mythology along with his father's bedtime stories. Became a lifelong lover of dogs and used to take them in from the streets. Questioned religion (Christian Science) and institutional thinking, having ultimately rejected both. Always rebelled against his father because of strict discipline and not measuring up to his ideals. Was nicknamed "Bobby" or "Bob."

Mother once had a romantic relationship with actor Zachary Scott who ended up driving his daughter, Waverly, and Robert Redford to school. The kids became friends and once witnessed Waverly's mother having sex with John Steinbeck as part of their affair (they eventually married). Despite living in poverty, was friends with sons and daughters of well-do crowd of Hollywood and elsewhere.

Had been stricken with polio in 1947 after overworking himself in a paddleboat during a very hot weather and couldn't move the next day. Spent his convalescence drawing pictures and was finally able to walk again after roughly three months. Broke into vacant houses late at night and arranged drinking parties and stole cars; pretty much, his childhood had been about testing limits and pushing past them. Joined a street gang and was arrested for stealing, resulting in being thrown out of high school.

After high school graduation, attended the University of Colorado at Boulder but didn't do well academically. Mother died in 1955, causing him to be lost, and he decided to visit Europe. Enrolled at a couple of art schools in Paris but still drifted further while losing over 40 pounds. Came back to the states in 1957 and decided to apply to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City but didn't realize he had to audition after his arrival there. Did it by yelling at the judges and was subsequently accepted. Was more interested in painting, not acting, for the present time but somehow started to gravitate toward becoming an actor in theater, causing him to watch movies again.

Appeared in plays but had been found by teachers unsuitable and awkward to work with by not kowtowing to the standard manner of acting; however, some saw promise in him and wanted him retained longer. Gained attention for the first time in a Chekhov play called The Seagull which led to being signed by MCA. Was given a lot of work in summer stock and television. Made his screen debut in War Hunt which began his collaboration with a fellow actor named Sydney Pollack.

Achieved enormous success in 1963 by starring in then-unknown Neil Simon's play called Barefoot in the Park directed by the also-unknown Mike Nichols that was made into a film with Jane Fonda four years later. The first time she and Redford worked together was The Chase. Was going to star in Rosemary's Baby while Roman Polanski was interested in making a skiing movie, but problems occured and Redford ended up doing Downhill Racer, leading to the creation of his own production company that planted the first seeds of his directioral career and the discovery of Michael Ritchie.

Achieved a massive career breakthrough in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, despite being poorly reviewed by critics, which led to his lifelong friendships with Paul Newman and George Roy Hill and a Best Picture winner called The Sting. Hated Burt Bacharach's song "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and wanted it removed. William Goldberg was Redford's preferred screenwriter. Received his first and only Best Actor nomination for The Sting.

Was given a choice to do either Apocalypse Now or Jeremiah Johnson, and the latter became among his biggest hits in a surprising fashion by going back to his roots in the West. It went through a lot of problems including arguments about where to shoot the film in (Spain vs. Utah), financing, and lack of faith shown by Warner Bros., but Robert Redford fought everybody as well as Sydney Pollack to get it made, regardless.

Became outraged while watching a televised fundraiser for President Nixon in October 1968, leading to the creation of The Candidate through his research of the political process. After rejecting journalist Pete Hamill's script by not capturing the much-needed satire, was advised by NBA star Bill Bradley to seek Eugene McCarthy's speechwriter: Jeremy Larner. As a result, he won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Many claimed the story was based on Jerry Brown, RFK, John Lindsay, Eugene McCarthy, and so on, but none of them had been verified.

Acquisition of film rights to the remake of The Great Gatsby began with Robert Evans after receiving a personalized F. Scott Fitzgerald story by Ali MacGraw. Due to her much-publicized affair with Steve McQueen, he had to look for a new Daisy and found her in Mia Farrow. Redford desperately wanted the part of Jay Gatsby but got turned down flat-out by Robert Evans. Ended up getting the role by convincing director Jack Clayton that he was right for it, and Robert Evans berudgingly accepted the decision.

While working on several films, showed keen interest in the Watergate scandal which would eventually become All the President's Men. Afterwards, was put on Nixon's hit list. Decided to take time off, having been burned out by the business for so many years. Directed Ordinary People for the first time ever, and it won four Oscars including Best Picture, beating out Raging Bull, and Best Director.

Was seriously distracted during the making of The Natural after finding out his daughter's boyfriend was murdered by a roomate, who was never tried and thus became a fugitive from justice, at Colorado University. Acted in Out of Africa that went on to win Best Picture Oscar. Suffered one of the worst failures through Havana, marking the seventh and final collaboration between him and director Sydney Pollack.

Planned to purchase film rights to A River Runs Through It in the mid 80's but had been beaten to it by somebody else. While bidding his time and being turned down by every studio in Hollywood, collaborated with Norman Maclean to develop a movie version of his novella. Got to meet then-unknown Brad Pitt through auditions but didn't initially like him. Brad Pitt's persistence to win the role of Paul won him over and that's how his career to started to take off immeasurably, and they did another film later: Spy Game.

Made a huge splash all over the national news when his character offered one million dollars to have sex with Demi Moore in Indecent Proposal. Received Best Director Oscar nomination for Quiz Show. Broke his longstanding promise that he wouldn't appear in movies he directed by doing both ways in The Horse Whisperer.

Bought a few acres of land in Utah at first and then thousands after Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and called it Sundance. Kept pouring his money into it from all movies he worked on. Created a movie colony there in 1980 which would be called Sundance Institute and took over a Utah film festival five years later, renaming it the Sundance Film Festival in 1991. The institute suffers from financial issues due to mismanagement and keeps losing money annually. Quentin Tarantino took advantage of its studio for Reservoir Dogs and came away bitterly disappointed by the experience, calling it a waste of time.

Is legendary for being late all the time. Suffers from claustophobia. Considers himself as a very visual person. Had anger, alcohol, and pill-popping issues for a while. Can be depressed from time to time. Is typically stubborn and autonomous, wanting to do it his own way. Cites Jeremiah Johnson as his favorite movie. Received an honorary Oscar for his contributions as "actor, director, producer, creator of Sundance and inspiration to independent and innovative filmmakers everywhere."

Rumors: None.