Robert Redford
Quick facts for kids
Robert Redford
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Redford in 1971
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Charles Robert Redford Jr.
August 18, 1936 Santa Monica, California, U.S.
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| Died | September 16, 2025 (aged 89) Sundance, Utah, U.S.
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| Years active | 1959–2025 |
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Works
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Full list |
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| Children | 4, including James and Amy |
| Awards | Full list |
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Charles Robert Redford Jr. (August 18, 1936 – September 16, 2025) was a very famous American actor, film producer, and director. He won many important awards, including an Oscar, a BAFTA Award, and five Golden Globe Awards. He also received special honors like the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016. Time magazine once called him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Robert Redford started acting on television shows like Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Twilight Zone. He then became a big star in movies. Some of his most well-known films include Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), The Sting (1973), and Out of Africa (1985). He even played Alexander Pierce in the superhero movies Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and Avengers: Endgame (2019).
Beyond acting, Redford was also a talented director. His first film as a director, Ordinary People (1980), won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. He also directed other popular movies like A River Runs Through It (1992). In 1981, he helped create the Sundance Resort and Film Institute, which supports new filmmakers. Robert Redford was also a strong supporter of environmentalism, Native American rights, and LGBT rights.
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Early Life and Education
Robert Redford was born in Santa Monica, California, on August 18, 1936. His mother was Martha Woodruff Redford, and his father was Charles Robert Redford Sr., an accountant. He had a half-brother named William. His family had roots in Ireland, Scotland, and England.
As a child, Robert's family lived in Van Nuys, California. They often visited his grandfather in Austin, Texas. He believed his love for nature and the environment came from these childhood experiences.
He went to Van Nuys High School. Robert said he wasn't the best student, but he loved art and sports. He even practiced tennis with famous player Pancho Gonzalez. When he was 11, he had a mild case of polio.
After high school, he attended the University of Colorado. He later traveled in Europe, exploring France, Spain, and Italy. He also studied painting at the Pratt Institute in New York and acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Starting His Career
Robert Redford began his acting journey in New York City. He performed on stage in Broadway plays and appeared on television. His first Broadway role was in Tall Story (1959). He found great success in the play Barefoot in the Park (1963).
From 1960, Redford was a guest star on many TV shows. These included popular dramas like Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Twilight Zone, and The Virginian.
He made his first film appearance in Tall Story (1960). In 1962, he had a role in the film War Hunt. He also earned an Emmy nomination for his acting in a TV special called The Voice of Charlie Pont (1962).
In 1965, he won a Golden Globe award for Best New Star for his role in Inside Daisy Clover. The next year, he worked with Jane Fonda for the first time in the movie The Chase.
Becoming a Star
Jane Fonda and Robert Redford starred together again in the popular movie Barefoot in the Park (1967). This film helped make him a well-known actor.
Redford became a major star with the film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). In this movie, he teamed up with Paul Newman. The film was a huge hit and made him famous for playing smart, dependable characters.
He won a BAFTA Award for his roles in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Downhill Racer (1969), and Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here (1969).
From 1973 to 1976, Robert Redford had an amazing run of successful movies. These included the western Jeremiah Johnson (1972) and the romantic drama The Way We Were (1973) with Barbra Streisand.
His film The Sting (1973), again with Paul Newman, was a massive success. It earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Actor. He also starred in The Great Gatsby (1974).
In 1976, he starred with Dustin Hoffman in the critically acclaimed film All the President's Men. This movie was about the Watergate scandal and showed Redford's interest in important political topics. He was also an executive producer for this film.
Directing and Producing Films
Redford made his debut as a director with the drama film Ordinary People (1980). This movie was about a family dealing with a difficult time. It won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Redford. Critics praised the film as intelligent and moving.
He later starred in the baseball drama The Natural (1984). Then, he appeared in Out of Africa (1985) with Meryl Streep. This film was a huge success and won seven Oscars, including Best Picture.
Redford directed The Milagro Beanfield War (1988). This film told the story of a community fighting against big developers. He also directed A River Runs Through It (1992), which earned him a Golden Globe nomination.
In 1994, he directed Quiz Show, a historical drama about a TV game show scandal. He continued to direct and star in films like The Horse Whisperer (1998) and The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000).
Later Acting Roles
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In the 1990s and 2000s, Redford remained a major star. He appeared in Sneakers (1992) with River Phoenix and Sidney Poitier.
He reunited with Brad Pitt in the film Spy Game (2001). Redford also narrated the IMAX documentary Sacred Planet (2004), which explored beautiful and endangered places around the world.
Redford produced The Motorcycle Diaries (2004). This film told the story of a young Ernesto "Che" Guevara's journey through South America. He also starred in An Unfinished Life (2005) with Jennifer Lopez.
In 2012, Redford directed and starred in The Company You Keep. The film was about a former activist who goes on the run.
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In 2013, Redford starred in All Is Lost, playing a man lost at sea. He received great praise for his performance, as he was the only actor in the film and had almost no dialogue. He won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor.
He played the villain Alexander Pierce in the Marvel Studios superhero film Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). He also co-produced and acted in A Walk in the Woods (2015).
In 2015, he played news anchor Dan Rather in the film Truth. He also appeared in the Disney movie Pete's Dragon (2016). In 2017, he reunited with Jane Fonda for the fifth time in Our Souls at Night.
Redford's final major role was as bank robber Forrest Tucker in The Old Man & the Gun (2018). He made a brief appearance in Avengers: Endgame (2019), which was his last on-screen role.
The Sundance Institute
Robert Redford used some of the money from his acting success to buy a ski area in Utah. He renamed it "Sundance" after his character in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. He and his ex-wife Lola had built a home there in 1963.
Redford then created the Sundance Film Festival. This festival became the largest event in the country for independent films. It helps new filmmakers share their movies with a wider audience.
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He also founded the Sundance Institute, Sundance Cinemas, and the Sundance Channel. These organizations all support independent filmmaking and storytelling.
Awards and Honors
Robert Redford won the Oscar for Best Director in 1980 for his film Ordinary People. In 2002, he received an Academy Honorary Award for his lifetime achievements in film. He was also honored with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival in 2017.
He received many honorary degrees from universities, including the University of Colorado Boulder and Brown University. In 1989, the National Audubon Society gave him its highest honor, the Audubon Medal, for his environmental work.
In 2014, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world. President Bill Clinton awarded him the National Medal of Arts in 1996. In 2016, President Barack Obama honored Redford with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He also received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2005 for his contributions to American culture.
His Personal Life
On August 9, 1958, Robert Redford married Lola Van Wagenen. They had four children: Scott Anthony, Shauna Jean, David James, and Amy Hart. Sadly, Scott died as a baby at just two and a half months old.
Shauna is a painter, and David James was a writer and producer. Amy is an actress, director, and producer. Robert Redford had seven grandchildren.
His marriage to Lola Van Wagenen ended in 1985. In 2009, Redford married his longtime girlfriend, Sibylle Szaggars, in Germany.
Robert Redford lived primarily at the Sundance Resort in Utah. He also owned homes in Tiburon, California, and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
A Champion for Important Causes
Robert Redford was a strong supporter of many important causes. He cared deeply about environmentalism, Native American rights, and LGBT rights. He was a trustee of the Natural Resources Defense Council, an organization that works to protect the environment.
He was known for speaking out about environmental issues. He opposed the TransCanada Corporation's Keystone Pipeline project. In 2014, he helped Pitzer College decide to stop investing in fossil fuel companies.
Redford also used his voice to support political leaders he believed in. He endorsed President Barack Obama for re-election in 2012. He also supported Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election. He often wrote articles sharing his thoughts on important national and global issues.
Robert Redford's Legacy
After Robert Redford passed away, many people remembered his amazing contributions. Variety magazine called him a "godfather for independent film" because he founded the Sundance Institute. They also said that "few could touch him" as a movie star.
Andrew Pulver from The Guardian newspaper called Redford a "giant of American cinema." He was seen as one of the most important movie stars of the 1970s. The Los Angeles Times remembered him as a "generational icon."
His films often explored serious topics like corruption and grief. Redford wanted his movies to have "cultural weight" and make people think. Filmmaker Ron Howard called him a "tremendously influential cultural figure."
His creation of the Sundance Film Festival helped many independent filmmakers. It became a place where new and different movies could be seen.
Time magazine highlighted Redford's environmental activism. They noted he was "fiercely dedicated" to protecting the planet. President Barack Obama called him "one of the foremost conservationists of our generation."
See also
In Spanish: Robert Redford para niños
