Robert Redford

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RRedf Last Updated: 7/12/25
Real Name: Charles Robert Redford, Jr.
Born: August 18, 1936
Height: 5' 6"

Grade: B+
Actor/Movie Star: 0%-100%
Prime Years: 1966-67, 1969, 1972-76, 1980, 1984-85, 1993, and 1998
Most Famous Film: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
Most Infamous Film: Havana (1990)
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), Brubaker (1980), and Indecent Proposal (1993)

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 (The Natural is what I mean), and many of his pictures reflect that. He acts virtually the same in everything and can be superficial at times, but I don't have a problem with it. In short, Robert Redford is a great movie star, and I'll always think of him as Jay Gatsby. But 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 her mother's health struggles with a blood disorder aaginst the principles of Christian Science. Mother inspired him with stories of the West and took him to Yosemite National Park and Navajo reservations in Arizona. Also, was a big fan of movies and Hollywood anything which got imparted to Robert Redford who eventually lost interest while growing up by being turned off by the lack of authenticity. Had difficulties with his father who had become an organization man for Standard Oil.

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, and he liked mythology and was fed bedtime stories by his father. Became a big fan of Disney movies, especially Bambi and anything with animals. A lifelong lover of dogs, used to take them in from the streets. Questioned religion (Christian Science) and institutional thinking and never bought into it. Always rebelled against his father because of his strict discipline and not measuring up to his ideals. Was nicknamed "Bobby" or "Bob."

Mother once had a romantic relationship with actor Zachary Scott, and he 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 (they eventually married). Despite his poverty, was friends with sons and daughters of well-do people 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 the time drawing pictures and finally was able to walk again after roughly three months. Would break and enter vacant houses late at night and arrange drinking parties and steal cars; pretty much, his childhood had been about testing limits and pushing past them. Joined a street gang and had been arrested for stealing, causing him to be thrown out of a high school.

After high school graduation, attended the University of Colorado at Boulder and didn't do well there. 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 in 1957 and decided to apply to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City but didn't realize that he had to audition by the time he arrived there, so he did by yelling at the judges and was subsequently accepted. Was more interested in painting, not acting, at the time, but somehow started to gravitate toward becoming an actor in theater and began to watch movies again.

Appeared in plays, but teachers found him unsuitable and awkward to work with for not kowtowing to the standard manner of acting; however, some saw promise in him and wanted him retained longer. Achieved breathrough in a Chekhov play called The Seagull which led to signing with 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 (he would direct Redford in a total of seven movies).

Achieved enormous success in 1963 by starring in 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 and 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, planting the first seeds of his directioral career, and discovering Michael Ritchie for the first time.

Achieved a massive career breakthrough 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" and wanted it removed from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. William Goldberg was Redford's preferred screenwriter.

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. The film went through a lot of problems including arguments of where to shoot the film in (Spain vs. Utah), financing, and lack of faith shown by the Warner Bros., but Robert Redford fought everybody including Sydney Pollack to get it made, regardless.

Became outraged while watching a televised fundraiser for President Nixon in October 1968, and that led to the creation of The Candidate by researching the political process. After rejecting journalist Pete Hamill's script by not capturing the needed satire Redford was seeking, was advised by NBA star Bill Bradley to check out Eugene McCarthy's speechwriter: Jeremy Larner. As a result, it won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Many have claimed that the story was based on Jerry Brown, RFK, John Lindsay, Eugene McCarthy, and so on, but none of them has been verified.

Film rights to the remake of The Great Gatsby began when Ali MacGraw gave a personalized gift of an F. Scott Fitzgerald story to Robert Evans. Because of her much-publized affair with Steve McQueen, he had to look for a new Daisy. Redford desperately wanted the part of Jay Gatsby but was flat-out turned down by Evans. Ended up getting the role by convincing director Jack Clayton that he was right for it, and Evans had to accept the decision.

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 that he did. Eventually built a movie colony there (Sundance Institute) in 1980 and took over a Utah film festival five years later, renaming it the Sundance Film Festival in 1991.

Is legendary for being late all the time. Had anger management, drinking, and pill-popping issues for a while. Tended to be depressed. Would be stubborn and autonomous, doing it his own way artistically.

Rumors: None.