Robert Redford, who died on September 16, 2025, leaves behind a legacy as one of Hollywood’s most enduring stars—an actor, director, and producer. Over six decades, he redefined what it meant to be both a leading man and an independent filmmaker. In this conversation, Redford reflects on his career, his philosophy on life, and the passions that kept him grounded beyond the screen.
What would you say has been the key factor to your long and distinguished career as a filmmaker?
Well, I think it’s an idea to try something. There’s a great line by TS Eliot: ‘There’s only the trying, the rest is not our business.’ I think the success is somehow as good as it feels in the moment. It doesn’t quite match the journey towards it. And so you’re constantly trying. As long as you’re aware that change is inevitable, you can always keep trying, and that’s what I always tried to do.
Was there ever a point where you wanted to quit the movie industry?
Every ten years! There have been a lot of low points where I thought I might pack it all in. But luckily, there have always been highs.
You have a son and a daughter who followed you into the film industry. What did you do to encourage them?
I never encouraged any of my kids to be anything other than just be who they are—to feel free to make those choices and to pay attention. Whatever you do, pay attention and take time.
How do you see the film industry now compared to when you started?
It’s changed. The way the world is developing, with all this technology it doesn’t allow time to digest the information we’re being given. We’re sped through information, and a lot of the films today reflect that. You’re not given time to stop, think, and reflect on what it is you’re supposed to be feeling about something. I think that’s dangerous because that can build a shallow mind. A quick mind, a fancy mind, but a shallow one.
You have a good few sports films in your long list of movies over the years.
Well, I was an athlete. I grew up in sports. When I was a kid, I was told that it didn’t matter whether you won or lost; it was how you played the game. But I found that to be a lie. In fact, it angered me so much, I decided to make a film about it, Downhill Racer. Then I just thought, ‘This is great, I played so many sports, won’t it be fun to act and really do my own stuff?’
What is your secret to a long and happy life and looking years younger than your age?
I don’t have one. Nature has just been good to me, I guess. There’s no nip or tuck. I’ve always liked the character age brings.
Your looks made you one of the biggest heartthrobs in Hollywood history back in the day. How was it to be regarded in that way?
The looks thing is something many people wish for. I had it, and it proved a tricky bargain. When you’re young, you live with some resentment. As you grow older, it’s all about how well or how poorly you’ve aged. There was always a lot of feeling within the industry that I had to break away from the looks thing if I wanted to be taken seriously. That was one of the reasons I formed my own production company early on. I found my greatest acceptance as an artiste behind the camera because there, it had nothing to do with how you look.
Part of your success is the Sundance Film Festival. What does the festival mean to you?
It means everything. I’m very proud of it. Sundance has never been about making money, big stars, or the big studios—it’s about film and the brilliant filmmakers. Sundance is a festival of discovery of new and very fresh work from new artists that are going to bring something very fresh to the screen. That might mean that Sundance movies are not commercial, but we never intended that they would be.
Finally, what would you hope to be the legacy you leave behind as a filmmaker and a Hollywood legend?
I have no idea. I just am who I am. I have never spent a lot of time thinking about that stuff. However people think of me, remember me, is almost not my business. My business has always been to be as independent and honest with myself as I can.