Redford first planned on designing theater sets, not standing under the spotlight himself. But an acting class at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts changed everything, his performance in a scene from All My Sons caught his teacher’s attention and gave him new confidence. By 1959, he was on Broadway in Tall Story and The Highest Tree, leaving set design behind for good. | © United Artists
Redford’s early adulthood was marked by devastating loss. At 18, he lost his mother to a sudden infection, later saying she had been the one person who truly believed in him. Just a few years later, he and his wife Lola lost their infant son, Scott, to sudden infant death syndrome. “People think it’s been easy for me,” he told People. “That’s hard to live with. It’s so untrue.” | © Sony Pictures Classics
Redford went to the University of Colorado on a partial baseball scholarship, but college life didn’t stick. He partied hard, lost his scholarship, and eventually got expelled. That setback pushed him to look elsewhere for purpose, which led him toward art and, eventually, acting. | © Warner Bros. Pictures
Of all his roles, Redford had the most fun with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. He loved the chance to ride, do his own stunts, and build an easy camaraderie with Paul Newman on set. Looking back, he said simply, “I love to ride, I like doing the stunts. And Paul and I had a great relationship that just evolved in the making of the film.” | © 20th Century Studios
Redford was hesitant to star in The Way We Were because he thought Hubbell Gardiner felt flat, calling him a “Ken doll.” Only after the script was revised to make the character more complex did he agree to take the role. He even joked with director Sydney Pollack, asking, “She’s not going to sing, is she?”, though Streisand’s iconic song from the film ended up winning an Oscar and a Grammy. | © Columbia Pictures
Redford wasn’t just cast as Bob Woodward in All the President’s Men – he helped make the film happen. In 1972, a year before Nixon resigned, he reached out to Woodward about turning the unfolding Watergate story into a movie. At first Woodward thought it might be a prank, but Redford eventually won him and Carl Bernstein over, later buying the rights to their book. | © Warner Bros. Pictures
After winning his Oscar for Ordinary People in 1981, Redford surprised many by turning his focus away from Hollywood. He launched the Sundance Institute, giving indie filmmakers a place to grow when blockbusters like Star Wars were dominating theaters. “At just the moment of the highest achievement, you should stop and go back to zero,” he explained, making it clear he wanted space for more human stories. | © Sundance.org
In 2016, President Obama awarded Redford the Presidential Medal of Freedom, recognizing his work as an actor, director, and environmental advocate. He joined a star-studded list of honorees that included Tom Hanks, Bruce Springsteen, and Diana Ross. Redford later said he just wished his parents had lived to see it, joking, “I don’t think either one of them saw this coming.” | © Michael McIntee / YouTube
Redford’s career earned him plenty of recognition from the Academy. He was nominated four times, including for acting in The Sting and directing Quiz Show, and won Best Director for Ordinary People in 1981. In 2002, he also received an honorary Oscar for his lasting impact on film. | © Paramount Pictures
Redford has long used his platform to fight for the environment. He spent years pushing to protect 1.7 million acres of Utah wilderness, which in 1996 officially became the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. To put it in perspective, the area is twice the size of Yosemite. | © 20th Century Studios
After his short run at the University of Colorado, Redford left baseball behind and needed cash. He found work in the California oil fields, taking on tough labor jobs to support himself. That paycheck eventually helped fund his move to Europe, where he studied painting before turning to acting. | © 20th Century Studios
When Robert Redford was around 11, he caught a mild case of polio – bad enough to confine him to bed for a couple of weeks, but thankfully not so bad that he needed an iron lung. To help him recover, his mother took him on a trip to Yosemite National Park. That moment seems to have deepened his love for nature, something that would shape his life and work later on. | © Searchlight Pictures
In 2018, Redford said The Old Man & the Gun would likely be his last film, telling EW, “Well, that’s enough. And why not go out with something that’s very upbeat and positive?” A month later, he walked that back, telling People, “I think it was a mistake to say that I was retiring because you never know.” Turns out, he wasn’t ready to close the door completely. | © Searchlight Pictures
Redford married Lola Van Wagenen in 1958, and the two raised four children together before their amicable split in 1985. Years later, he began a long relationship with German painter Sibylle Szaggars, insisting at the time that he’d never marry again. In 2009, he proved himself wrong when the couple officially tied the knot. | © Paramount Pictures
Robert Redford never saw his biggest success in awards or box office numbers. For him, it was raising three children who each found their own creative path in the arts. He once told People that, no matter what films he made, his kids were “the best thing” in his life. | © TriStar Pictures
Robert Redford has lived a life as dramatic as any of his films. Beyond the fame, there are stories of struggle, resilience, and unexpected choices that shaped who he is today. Here are 15 surprising facts you probably didn’t know about him.
