Early Life and Education

As a young boy, Robert’s family moved to Van Nuys in California because of his father’s work demands. There he attended Van Nuys High School and there he met the base ball player Don Drysdale. Robert reckons that compared to his mates, he was not a good student at school and preferred to be involved in arts and sports. He attended the University of Colorado in Boulder but was there for only one and a half years. His heavy drinking caused him to lose his half-scholarship and was sent packing from the School. He later went to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn to study arts. He learnt a bit about acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York.

Career

While in the University of Colorado, Robert worked at The Sink, a restaurant and bar where he suddenly became famous. He began his acting career in 1960 as a guest actor in some TV shows. He featured in ‘The Untouchables,’ ‘The Twilight Zone’ and ‘Perry Mason.’ Most fans would remember him for acting as the newly-wed husband of Elizabeth Ashley in ‘Barefoot in the Park’ in 1963.

Redford made his debut in films in 1962 in ‘War Hunt.’ He became pretty famous in 1969 for starring in the films ‘The Sundance Kid’ and ‘Butch Cassidy.’ By far the greatest breakthrough of his career early on was the blockbuster crime movie ‘The Sting’ where he featured in 1973. He had other landmark appearances like in the popular film, ‘All the President’s Men’ in 1976 that made him a global celebrity.

Redford has made an indelible mark on the entertainment industry. He started the Sundance Film Festival, making room for independent film makers to showcase their works. He established a restaurant called Zoom in Park City, a former mining town showing his business acumen. Outside the stage and business, Redford is an environmentalist. He has supported advocacy groups working in this area. He is a trustee of the Natural Resources Defence Council in the US.

His successes in entertainment, business and advocacy have been recognised and applauded. He has won no less than 34 major awards and nominated for over 40 others. These include: one Academy award (Oscars) and four nominations, one BAFTA award and two nominations and three Golden Globe Awards and seven nominations.

His works have been celebrated by organisations leading to more honours. He received an honorary degree from the University of Colorado in 1988, honorary doctorate from Bard College, United States National Medal of Arts, Dorothy and Lilian Gish Prize, honorary doctorate from Brown University and New Mexico Governor’s Award for Excellence in Arts.

Personal Life

As colourful as Redford’s career has been, his biography is also adorned with many colourful personal experiences. He married Lola Van Wagener in 1958 and they had four children. The marriage ended in divorce in 1985. In July 2009, he went into marriage again with long time partner, Sibylle Szaggars. Redford owns a ranch and many other choice properties and his net worth stands tall at $170 million. With a height of 1.79m Robert enjoys family life and considers himself the best looking grandfather around.