Born:
August 18, 1936
in
Santa Monica, California
Best Known For:
The Sundance Kid.
Early-life:
Charles Robert Redford Jr was born on August 18, 1936, in Santa Monica, California. His father was a milkman who later became an accountant. His mother, Martha, died a year after he graduated from high school. He has a younger half-brother. Always a rebel, Redford lost his baseball scholarship at the University of Colorado following a drunken incident. He later studied art at Brooklyn's Pratt Institute and spent time painting in Europe before enrolling at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York.
Career:
Redford appeared on stage before making his TV debut in a 1960 episode of Maverick. More small-screen roles followed, and he was shortlisted to play Dr Kildare, but lost out to Richard Chamberlain. Movies such as The Chase and Barefoot in the Park followed, but it was Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid that turned him into a major star in 1969. Films since include The Candidate, The Sting, All the President's Men, Out of Africa and Spy Game. He's also an accomplished director, winning an Oscar in 1981 for Ordinary People, and assembling a dream cast for Lions for Lambs.
Quote:
"All my life I've been dogged by guilt because I feel there is this difference between the way I look and the way I feel inside."
Trivia:
Redford formed the Sundance Institute and film festival to help support independent filmmakers.