When you鈥檙e a larger-than-life, generation-spanning star like Robert Redford, the hard truth is that every movie is notable in some way. He was iconic in his own time, whether in front of the camera, or behind it. And in his lifetime, so many of his films transcended their original reviews to find passionate fanbases: Just ask older millennials about the 1992 hacker movie 鈥淪neakers鈥 or the 鈥淪ex and the City鈥 generation about 鈥淭he Way We Were.鈥
leaving behind an arsenal of great roles that he owned, whether he was playing a quiet CIA agent, a con man, a baseball player, a grizzled mariner, an ambitious journalist, or a charming WASP in love. You could make a feast out of his Sydney Pollack collaborations alone, staring with 鈥淛eremiah Johnson鈥 (streaming on ), a classic that also took on a surprising afterlife as a meme that became so popular, younger generations didn鈥檛 even realize it was Redford behind that beard. His very last role came this year, a cameo in 鈥淒ark Winds,鈥 the AMC show about Navajo police officers he produced.
This is a list of some of Redford’s most memorable performances, but don鈥檛 forget about the films he directed, too: among them are the all-timers 鈥淥rdinary People鈥 ( ), which won him the best director Oscar, and 鈥淨uiz Show鈥 (rent on ), which got him another nod.
Robert Redford, the Hollywood golden boy who became an Oscar-winning director, liberal activist and godfather for independent cinema under the name of one of his best-loved characters, died Tuesday at 89. (Sept. 16, 2025)
AP Video鈥淏arefoot in the Park鈥 (1967)
Redford and Jane Fonda play a passionate but mismatched newlywed couple whose relationship is tested by their walk-up New York apartment in this Reprising the role he’d played on Broadway, Redford is the uptight, conservative foil to her more free-spirited character and they鈥檙e both stunningly beautiful and fun to watch. Fonda told The Guardian in 2015 that she was 鈥渁lways in love with Robert Redford.鈥 He later responded that he wasn鈥檛 aware. The two also appeared together in 鈥淭he Chase鈥 (1966), 鈥淭he Electric Horseman鈥 (1979) and 鈥淥ur Souls at Night鈥 (2017).
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鈥淏utch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid鈥 (1969)
Redford met Paul Newman on 鈥淏utch Cassidy,鈥 George Roy Hill and Western buddy film about outlaws on the run. It was the start of a lifelong friendship, but it almost didn鈥檛 happen, since the studio wanted a star like Steve McQueen or Marlon Brando instead of Redford.
鈥淚 was not a name equal to Paul鈥檚. I was just sort of moving up at that time,鈥 he told the AP in 2015. 鈥淭here was a big argument that went on for months and months. They said it had to be a star. (Newman) said, 鈥榃ell, I want to work with an actor,鈥 because Paul respected acting. Had it not been for Paul, I would not have gotten that break.鈥
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鈥淒ownhill Racer鈥 (1969)
A film that鈥檚 as stylish as it is compelling, Redford plays an ambitious and smug downhill skier out for Olympic gold in this Michael Ritchie film. Roger Ebert, in his review, wrote that it is 鈥渁 portrait of a man that is so complete, and so tragic, that 鈥楧ownhill Racer鈥 becomes the best movie ever made about sports 鈥 without really being about sports at all.鈥
This was one of Redford鈥檚 passion projects, his first independent feature that taught him some hard lessons about Hollywood. 鈥淭hat was when I learned about how the film industry really works,鈥 Redford told the Harvard Business Review in 2002. 鈥淭he studio simply tossed 鈥楧ownhill Racer鈥 away without a second thought. I broke my heart trying to get that film promoted and distributed.鈥
WHERE TO WATCH: Stream on or ; rent on Prime Video
鈥淭he Sting鈥 (1973)
After the success of 鈥淏utch Cassidy,鈥 鈥淭he Sting,鈥 another Hill film, fell into place more easily. Redford and Newman play grifters in 1936 Chicago who fleece Robert Shaw鈥檚 rich mobster in this memorable caper that went on to win best picture.
鈥淲hat was interesting was the switcheroo,鈥 Redford told the AP. 鈥淧aul had played these iconic, quiet, still characters in the past, and that鈥檚 not what Paul is. He was a chatty, nervous guy who was always biting his fingernails. 鈥 He loved to have fun and play games.鈥
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鈥淭he Way We Were鈥 (1973)
Ah Hubbell, that beautiful, carefree WASP who falls in love with Barbra Streisand鈥檚 fiercely opinionated Katie. The making of the Pollack film, from a script standpoint, and the original writer Arthur Laurents was never quite happy with how it turned out. But this romantic drama with that memorable song has endured over the generations (it was even a reference in a pivotal 鈥淪ex and the City鈥 episode).
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Actor, Oscar-winning director and Sundance Film Festival founder Robert Redford died on Sept. 16, 2025, at age 89. Redford attended the 海角社区官网International Film Festival several times over his career. Here is a look at some of his visits. (Sept. 16, 2025)
The Canadian Press鈥淭hree Days of the Condor鈥 (1975)
Redford teamed with Pollack again for about a quiet CIA codebreaker who returns from lunch only to discover his co-workers have all been murdered. The film sends him on the run from the bosses involved in this vast conspiracy, and a hit man played by Max von Sydow.
WHERE TO WATCH: Stream on
鈥淎ll the President鈥檚 Men鈥 (1976)
To Redford, the history of this film was more interesting than the project itself. He started obsessing over the Watergate saga during a whistle-stop tour for 鈥淭he Candidate,鈥 also a great and prophetic Redford film, when he overheard some journalists gossiping about the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters and became fascinated by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein.
鈥淚 wanted to know who these guys were, who created all this disturbance,鈥 Redford told the AP. 鈥淚 thought, 鈥榃ow, one guy was a Jew, one guy was a WASP. One guy was a Republican, the other guy was a liberal. One guy was a good writer, the other wasn鈥檛 very good. They didn鈥檛 like each other, but they had to work together. Now that鈥檚 an interesting dynamic I鈥檇 love to know about.鈥欌
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鈥淭he Natural鈥 (1984)
This is one of those films that might not be many critics’ favorite, but almost negates that. Redford played baseball player Roy Hobbs in Barry Levinson鈥檚 adaptation of Bernard Malamud鈥檚 novel about an up-and-coming talent whose career is derailed after getting shot, but who gets another chance at greatness 16 years later.
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鈥淥ut of Africa鈥 (1985)
This breathtakingly beautiful historical romance (also directed by Pollack) finds Meryl Streep, as the Danish expat Karen Blixen, unable to resist the charms of Redford鈥檚 big game hunter Denys Finch Hatton, an English man with no accent (Pollack thought it would be distracting for audiences). The film didn鈥檛 get the best reviews, but it did go on to win the best picture Oscar.
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鈥淎ll Is Lost鈥 (2013)
J.C. Chandor directed Redford in this harrowing survival story, in which a veteran sailor on a solo voyage in the Indian Ocean tries to survive after his yacht is stuck by a floating cargo container. Made for only $9 million, it鈥檚 stripped-down and thrilling. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a pure cinematic experience,鈥 Redford told The Hollywood Reporter. 鈥淎nd that was very appealing to me at this point in my life 鈥 to be able to go back to my roots as an actor, to be interesting enough to have the audience ride along with you and almost be a part of what you are feeling and thinking.鈥 It鈥檚 likely a quirk of modern film review aggregation, but it is also his highest Rotten Tomatoes score.
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鈥淭he Old Man & The Gun鈥 (2018)
This from filmmaker David Lowery, about a 70-year-old San Quentin escapee who embarks on a series of bank heists, was a bit of a swan song for Redford, who was 82 when it was released. His character, Forrest Tucker, is the kind of thief who left his victims disarmed, with one bank teller explaining to the police, 鈥淗e was a gentleman.鈥 It鈥檚 one of those films that鈥檚 almost comforting to watch, a reassuring testament to his enduring appeal. Charisma doesn鈥檛 need to dwindle with age, and Redford was proof.
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