Robert Redford

ROBERT REDFORD is somewhat of an anomaly in the entertainment industry. Though he has been world-famous for more than 30 years, he remains a highly private individual. He is an ardent conservationist and environmentalist, a man who stands for social responsibility and political involvement and an artist and businessman who is a staunch supporter of uncompromised creative expression. His passion remains to make films of substance and social/cultural relevance, as well as to encourage others to express themselves through the arts.

Redford 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, directed by Mike Nichols. From that point on, Redford had to struggle, like any actor, but "not too hard." His first movie role was in War Hunt, in which Sydney Pollack, the man who would become a friend and frequently his director, played a bit part. He reprised the role of newlywed Paul Bratter in the film version of Barefoot in the Park, opposite Jane Fonda, for which he received praise from critics and audiences. His early film work includes Inside Daisy Clover, with Natalie Wood, The Chase, This Property is Condemned, Tell Them Willie Boy is Here and Situation Hopeless, But Not Serious among others.

In 1969, Redford and Paul Newman teamed to star in the Western, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. 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 Sting, which won seven Oscars®, including Best Picture, in addition to bringing Redford his Best Actor nomination.

He has since built a distinguished acting career, starring in such notable feature films as Jeremiah Johnson, The Way We Were, The Great Gatsby, Three Days of the Condor, The Great Waldo Pepper, Brubaker, A Bridge Too Far, The Natural, Out of Africa, Legal Eagles, Sneakers, Indecent Proposal and Up Close and Personal, among others. In 2001, he starred in Spy Game and The Last Castle. In 2004, Redford was seen in The Clearing, and in 2005, An Unfinished Life.

Redford has starred in several films produced by his own Wildwood Enterprises, which he founded in 1968. His acting and producing credits under the Wildwood banner include Downhill Racer, The Candidate, The Electric Horseman, and All the President's Men, which earned seven Oscar® nominations including Best Picture.

In addition to his prominence as an actor, Redford won a Directors Guild of America Award, a Golden Globe® Award and the Academy Award® for Best Director for his feature film directorial debut on the emotionally shattering family drama, Ordinary People. He went on to both direct and produce The Milagro Beanfield War and A River Runs Through It, for which he received a Best Director Golden Globe® nomination; and earned dual Oscar® nominations for Best Picture and Best Director and a Golden Globe® nomination for Best Director in 1994 for helming Quiz Show. Previous to The Conspirator, Redford's work was on Lions for Lambs, in which he acts, produces and directs.

For television, Redford executive produced the first American episode of the PBS series, MYSTERY! Based on Tony Hillerman's novel, "Skinwalkers," the script was written by Jamie Redford and directed by Chris Eyre (Smoke Signals) and stars Adam Beach (Smoke Signals) and Wes Studi (Dances With Wolves) as Native American detectives Jim Chee and Joe Leaphorn of the Navajo Tribal Police. MYSTERY: Skinwalkers premiered in November 2002. Previously, he executive produced the telefilm Grand Avenue which aired on HBO in 1996.

A large part of Redford's life is his Sundance Institute (named for the outlaw he played in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid), which he founded in 1981. The Sundance Institute is dedicated to the support and development of emerging screenwriters and directors of vision, and to the national and international exhibition of new independent cinema. Their highly acclaimed Screenwriting, Directing, Playwrite and Producing Labs take place at the Sundance Village mountain retreat in Utah, founded by Redford in 1969.

The Sundance Film Festival is a program of the Institute and is internationally recognized as the single most important showcase of independent cinema. Sundance Channel, a further extension of the Sundance Institute's mission and dedication to independent filmmakers, brings television viewers engaging feature films, shorts, documentaries, world cinema and animation, shown uncut and with no commercials. Through its original programs, Sundance Channel connects viewers with filmmakers, the creative process, and the world of independent film. Launched in 1996, Sundance Channel is a venture between Robert Redford, Showtime Networks Inc., and Universal Studios.

Redford founded the Sundance Catalog in 1989 to support both the Sundance Institute and fine artists and their work. It has grown into one of the country's preeminent specialty catalogs over the past decade. Redford further expanded the Sundance brand with the launch of Sundance Cinemas circuit in 2006 with two locations open in Madison, Wisconsin and San Francisco and others to roll out over the next 5 years.

In February 1996, Redford received the Screen Actors Guild's prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, honoring his enduring contributions to film. In March 2002, he received an Honorary Academy Award, recognizing his achievements as "actor, director, producer and creator of Sundance, inspiration to independent and innovative filmmakers everywhere."

In addition to his work as an actor, director and producer, Robert Redford has been a noted environmentalist and activist since the early 1970s and has served for almost 30 years as a Trustee of the Board the Natural Resources Defense Council. Redford has been involved with many pieces of environmental legislation including the Clean Air Act (1974-75), The Energy Conservation and Production Act (1974-76) and the National Energy Policy Act (1989).

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