Robert Redford, the acclaimed actor, director, and film producer, was born Charles Robert Redford Jr. on August 18, 1936, in Santa Monica, California. Though American by birth, Redford became well traveled early in life, spending time in France, Spain, and Italy. His father, Charles Robert Redford Sr., was married to Martha Redford. Redford also has a half-brother, William, from his father’s second marriage.

During his childhood, the Redford family relocated to Van Nuys, California, due to his father's job requirements. Robert attended Van Nuys High School, where he crossed paths with future Major League Baseball player Don Drysdale. Reflecting on his school years, Redford has admitted that academics were not his strongest suit; instead, he gravitated toward the arts and sports. He briefly attended the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he lost his baseball scholarship due to excessive drinking and was required to leave the university after a year and a half.

Redford later moved to New York City, where he studied painting at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and further explored acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. This shift in focus laid the foundation for his illustrious career in the entertainment industry.

Start in Television and Rise to Film Stardom

Robert Redford began his professional acting career in the early 1960s, appearing as a guest actor on several popular television shows, including The Untouchables, The Twilight Zone, and Perry Mason. One of his early breakthrough roles came in 1963, when he starred alongside Elizabeth Ashley in Neil Simon’s stage production and subsequent film adaptation of Barefoot in the Park.

His film debut occurred in 1962 with the movie War Hunt. However, it was in 1969 that Redford rose to major prominence with his role as the Sundance Kid in the critically and commercially successful film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. This performance cemented his status as a leading man in Hollywood.

A major highlight of his early film career was the 1973 hit The Sting, in which he reunited with co-star Paul Newman. That role earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. Redford continued his string of successes with notable roles in critically acclaimed films such as All the President’s Men (1976), showcasing his ability to merge stardom with substantive storytelling that resonated globally.