Robert Redford - Details

Biography

Robert RedfordROBERT REDFORD (Director/Producer) has received international acclaim for his work as a director, actor and producer, as well as for his efforts as a champion of independent film and as an environmentalist.
Redford won an Academy Award®, a Golden Globe Award and a Directors Guild of America Award, for his feature film directorial debut on the emotionally shattering family drama "Ordinary People (1980) ." He went on to both direct and produce "Milagro Beanfield War, The (1988)"; "River Runs Through It, A (1992)," for which he garnered a Best Director Golden Globe nomination; "Quiz Show (1994)," earning dual Oscar® nominations for Best Picture and Best Director and another Golden Globe nomination for Best Director; and, most recently, "Horse Whisperer, The (1998)," which brought him his fourth Golden Globe nod for Best Director. Also honored for his acting work, Redford received an Academy Award® nomination for Best Actor for his performance in "Sting, The (1973)."
A strong advocate of independent filmmaking, Redford founded the Sundance Institute in 1980 as an organization "dedicated to the support and development of emerging screenwriters and directors of vision and to the national and international exhibition of new American independent cinema." The Institute also sponsors the annual Sundance Film Festival, which is held every winter in Park City, Utah. From its modest beginnings, the Festival is now the most important venue for the presentation of independent film in the United States.

Born in Santa Monica, California, Redford studied acting at the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York before beginning his career on the stage. He landed his first Broadway starring role in "Sunday in New York," followed by "Little Moon of Alban" and Neil Simon's "Barefoot in the Park (1967)," directed by Mike Nichols.
He reprised the role of newlywed Paul Bratter in the film version of "Barefoot in the Park (1967)," opposite Jane Fonda, for which he received praise from critics and audiences. His other early film work includes "War Hunt (1962)," "Inside Daisy Clover (1965)," with Natalie Wood, "Chase, The (1994) ," "This Property is Condemned (1966)" and "Tell Them Willie Boy is Here (1969)."
In 1969, Redford and Paul Newman teamed to star in the Western "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)." Directed by George Roy Hill, the film became an instant classic and firmly established Redford as one of the industry's top leading men. He, Newman and Hill later reunited for the aforementioned "Sting, The (1973)," which won seven Oscars®, including Best Picture, in addition to bringing Redford his Best Actor nomination.
He has since had a wide array of starring roles in such films as "Jeremiah Johnson (1972)," "Way We Were, The (1973)," "Great Gatsby, The (1974)," "Three Days of the Condor (1975)," "Brubaker (1980)," "Natural, The (1984)," "Out Of Africa (1985)," "Legal Eagles (1986)," "Sneakers (1992)," "Indecent Proposal (1993)" and "Up Close & Personal (1996)." In addition, Redford has starred in several films produced by his own Wildwood Enterprises, which he founded in 1968. His acting credits under the Wildwood banner include "Downhill Racer (1969)," "Candidate, The (1972)," "Electric Horseman, The (1979)" and "All The Presidents Men (1976)," which earned seven Oscar® nominations, including Best Picture.
Redford more recently produced "Civil Action, A (1998)," starring John Travolta, and executive produced the telefilm "Grand Avenue." He also served as an executive producer on the films "How to Kill Your Neighbor's Dog (2000)," "Slums Of Beverly Hills (1998)," "No Looking Back (1998)" and "She's The One (1996)," which were all produced by his recently formed South Fork Pictures. His earlier executive producing credits include "Solar Film, The (1981)," "Promised Land (1988)," "Some Girls (1989)" and "Dark Wind, The (1991)."

Events

  • 18th August 1937 - Birth