Robert Redford is 85 years old – news.ORF.at

Robert Redford, who celebrates his 85th birthday today, can remember a long Hollywood career. In the western comedy “Zwei Banditen” he attacked railroads and banks with Paul Newman in 1969 and became a star.

He appeared on screen with Mia Farrow in “The Great Gatsby” (1974) and alongside Meryl Streep in the award-winning melodrama “Out of Africa” ​​(1985) as the lover. He also managed to score points in political roles, for example in the drama “Die Unbrechlichen” (1976) about the Watergate scandal.

Oscar success as a director

Despite his excellence in acting, Redford was nominated only once for Academy Awards as Best Actor for The Clou (1973). But he later won an Academy Award as a director for “A Pretty Ordinary Family” (1981). In 2002, the Film Academy honored him with an Honorary Academy Award for his life work.

Redford was born in Santa Monica, California on the outskirts of Film City. As the son of a milkman, he grew up in simple circumstances. He later studied at the University of Colorado with the help of an athletic scholarship. He later attended drama school in New York via detours.

Founder of Sundance Festival

In 1980 he founded the Sundance Institute, which has hosted the Sundance Independent Film Festival every January in the Rocky Mountains ever since. Redford sees it as his job to encourage young critical voices.

Redford announced his retirement as an actor several times. In 2019, he was still in front of the camera in the superhero scene “Avengers: Endgame”. Now it looks like the Hollywood star is serious about retirement. In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine in April, Redford said he never missed the action in front of or behind the camera. He is now leaving this job to others.