Hollywood legend Robert Redford passed away on 16 September at the age of 89. Since then, tributes have been pouring in for the multi-hyphenate whose career spans decades.
Redford was never just like any other actor. Throughout his long and storied career, he also established himself as a director, producer, and even a film festival founder. And while he didn’t do much acting during his final years, Redford took on one final film project in 2020, where he didn’t appear onscreen.
Robert Redford Wanted to Retire From Acting
Redford made his big screen debut way back in the 60s, playing Private Roy Loomis in the 1962 film War Hunt. He would rise to stardom just a few years later after starring in the 1969 adventure film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
Later on, Redford would also venture into filmmaking while maintaining his onscreen presence. Such was the case when he starred in and directed the drama The Horse Whisperer with a younger Scarlett Johansson and the ensemble drama Lions for Lambs, which also stars Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise.
During his final years, Redford took on fewer acting projects and made no secret as to why. ‘I’m getting tired of acting,’ he revealed during a lengthy interview with his grandson, Dylan, at the Walker Art Center. ‘I’m an impatient person, so it’s hard for me to sit around and do take after take after take.’ Redford also said that he planned to ‘focus on directing’ instead.
What Was Robert Redford’s Final Movie?
Interestingly, Redford didn’t appear onscreen for his final film project, which was the 2020 comedy Omniboat: A Fast Boat Fantasia. The movie, which is centred around a speedboat named Lay’n Pipe, features the late legend as the voice of Lokia, the Dolphin Monster.
That said, just a year before that, Redford also made a surprise appearance in a certain billion-dollar-earning Marvel movie. As many may know, the actor made his Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) debut in the 2014 film Captain America: The Winter Soldier, where Redford plays the antagonist Alexander Pierce.
While speaking at an event for the Producers Guild of America, The Winter Soldier directors Joe and Anthony Russo recalled feeling ‘fortunate’ that Redford said yes to their Marvel film, saying that the acting legend ‘lends great credibility to the project’. Joe also later added that there were viewers who watched the movie ‘because it’s evocative of the 70s films that he (Redford) did, the political thrillers that he did, and some people will enjoy the fact that that’s one of the first times he’s playing a villain.’
The actor would stay out of the MCU in the years that followed. But then, Redford decided to reprise his Marvel role briefly in Endgame. In the commentary track for the film, the Russo brothers recalled Redford saying that Endgame would be his final movie.
Following Redford’s death, the Russo brothers took to Instagram to mourn his passing. ‘We are deeply saddened by the passing of the incomparable Robert Redford — a true legend whose acting and directing inspired us throughout our careers,’ they wrote. ‘There are very few people who have impacted modern storytelling as significantly as Robert … and we are deeply grateful for our time with him.’
Originally published on IBTimes UK
