When a celebrity dies in our culture, there is usually a short moment of mourning quickly followed by a sense of appreciation for what made that person famous. Some hit harder than others. I still remember where I was when I found out Kobe Bryant died – for my dad, it was Tom Petty. However, some people never get their due, even in this celebrity idolizing country. The most recent case of this was Robert Redford.
Born in 1936 in Santa Monica, California, Robert Redford would go on to make one of the biggest impacts of any actor in Hollywood. He was a star even among the many talented actors in LA. He had a way of capturing the camera’s attention and never letting go. Redford’s breakout role would come in his very first movie: “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” a western following two outlaws as they avoided the law and tried to go straight.
The film would go on to win eight BAFTA awards. After that, Redford was in high demand – becoming one of the most active movie stars of the 70s.
His next big hit would come with the same director, George Roy Hill, and co-star Paul Newman. “The Sting” was about two con-men who rip off a mobster to avenge the murder of their friend. But instead of winning eight BAFTA awards, the film won seven OSCARS – not including the best actor nomination for Redford.
At this point in his career, Redford wanted to try being on the other side of the camera and started a career in directing. He was a natural. It wasn’t long until he was nominated for an OSCAR on that front, only this time, he would win it. In 1981, Redford won best director for his film, ‘Ordinary People.’
Redford was not only a phenomenal actor and director, but a man who had an immense passion for every dimension of filmmaking. The U.S. film festival was in its infancy when Redford made a huge donation and helped them restructure it around independent films and giving new artists a stage. He helped out so much that the committee voted to rename the festival to The Sundance film festival.
The stage that gave birth to actors like Jennifer Lawrnce and Amy Adams, – and give a young director named Quintin Tarantino a chance to show his first movie, ‘Reservoir Dogs,’ was built by Redford.
One might wonder why a man who was so impactful in Hollywood and entertained millions throughout the course of his life didn’t make a lot of headlines when he died.
There are a couple reasons: One is simply that a good portion of the people who appreciate his work are also dead. While he has been in modern movies – such as ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier,’ he never had the same types of roles he did in the 70s. In my opinion, the last great movie he acted in was ‘Sneakers,’ and that was in 1992.
Another reason for the lack of coverage comes from the fact that he died less than a week after the assination of Charlie Kirk. That is something that still gets talked about in the media, and even though we are only a few months separated from it, feels like a watershed moment in American culture.
When something like that happens, maybe no one wants to talk about a 70s movie star. But he wasn’t just a movie star. He was an all-time great actor, a director, a man who gave back to his community and fostered the next generations of talent, and most importantly, a man who deserved more of our attention when he passed.
