Podcast Summary: Robert Redford Was His Own Kind of Hollywood Icon

Podcast: Consider This from NPR
Host: Ari Shapiro
Guests: Linda Holmes (NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour), Bob Mondello (NPR Film Critic)
Date: September 16, 2025
Episode Length: ~10 minutes

Overview: Celebrating a Hollywood Legend

This episode commemorates the life and legacy of Robert Redford, who passed away at age 89. The discussion, led by Ari Shapiro with insights from Linda Holmes and Bob Mondello, examines Redford’s enduring mark on cinema as an iconic actor, director, and advocate for independent film. They reflect on his ability to challenge Hollywood norms, his nuanced relationship with fame, and the groundbreaking influence of his Sundance Film Festival.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Redford’s Personality and Early Stardom

• Complexity and Humor: Recalling how Jane Fonda described Redford as "complicated, profound and deeply creative," while Redford himself jokingly added, "I would use the word beauty in terms of myself." (Robert Redford, 00:22)
• Understated Performer: Critic Cary Rickey notes Redford’s minimalist acting style: “He tended to be a minimalist on screen, often interrupting himself to make it sound like actual speech.” (Cary Rickey via Linda Holmes, 00:48)
• Ambivalence About Celebrity: Redford acknowledged the downside of stardom, emphasizing, “Celebrity is overdone in our society… I think that people should be paying a lot more attention to other issues rather than who’s the top 10 this or … the sexiest or the most beautiful…” (Redford, 01:02)

2. Using Celebrity for Change

• Activism and Sundance: Redford was an early Hollywood advocate for environmental causes and independent cinema. He founded the Sundance Film Festival to promote stories that Hollywood often ignored:

  "I wanted to tell stories about the America that I grew up in. I was not interested in the red, white and blue part of America. I was interested in the gray part, where complexity lies." (Redford, 01:39)

3. Signature Roles and Career Evolution

• Transition to Stardom:
  • Redford’s breakout came with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), marking a shift from romantic comedies to subversive westerns and “bromance” dynamics (04:19).
  • Linda Holmes highlights his earlier roles in “Barefoot in the Park” and as “a handsome lug opposite Natalie Wood in This Property is Condemned.”
  • Butch Cassidy is cited for its ambiguous ending, breaking genre expectations (Bob Mondello, 04:25).
• 1970s Fame:
  • Major films: Jeremiah Johnson, The Way We Were, The Sting (his only Best Actor Oscar nom), and All the President’s Men.
  • Bob Mondello lauds his trilogy of thrillers—All the President’s Men, Three Days of the Condor, and later, Sneakers (1992):

    “Sneakers… is a really, really fun movie with an incredibly stacked cast… and Redford did a kind of a callback to Three Days of the Condor when he appeared in Captain America: Winter Soldier.” (Bob Mondello, 05:29)

4. Redford’s Relationship with Fame and Image

• Weaponizing Handsomeness:
  • Redford’s looks became central to roles, such as playing “Death” in The Twilight Zone (1962) and “the charming million-dollar man” in Indecent Proposal:

    “He was good at times in sort of weaponizing that element of his physicality…” (Bob Mondello, 06:18)

• Struggles with Perception:
  • Redford objected to being seen only as a glamorous star:

    “The notion is that, well, you’re not so much of an actor. You’re just somebody that looks well. And that was always hard for me because I always took pride in whatever role I was playing.” (Redford, 07:24)

5. Directorial Achievements

• Acclaimed Debut:
  • Ordinary People (1980), his first film as a director, won Best Picture and Best Director.
    • Bob Mondello credits Redford’s restraint for the film’s impact on viewers (07:47).
  • The film sparked conversations about mental health and featured a transformative role for Mary Tyler Moore.
• Other Noteworthy Films:
  • The Milagro Beanfield War, A River Runs Through It, The Horse Whisperer, and Quiz Show (which garnered more Oscar nominations).

6. Lasting Industry Impact: The Sundance Legacy

• Championing Independent Film:
  • Holmes: “He championed the kind of movie that he was too big to star in himself… He liked these independent, scrappy, experimental, issue-driven films.” (Linda Holmes, 08:44)
  • Sundance gave a platform to filmmakers like Steven Soderbergh and Ava DuVernay.
  • Mondello acknowledges Sundance’s revolutionary role in film discovery (09:03).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Redford’s Appeal:

  “The truth is he was beautiful and bankable, a go-to leading man. But as Fonda said, he was also complicated.” (Ari Shapiro, 00:29)

• On Fame:

  “Celebrity is overdone in our society. I think it’s got a dangerous side to it.” (Robert Redford, 01:02)

• On Directing & Legacy:

  “He championed the kind of movie that he was too big to star in himself. His presence would have sort of morphed it into something else.” (Linda Holmes, 08:44)

Important Timestamps

• 00:22: Redford’s humor and self-awareness, Fonda’s tribute
• 01:02: Redford’s critical views on celebrity culture
• 01:39: Redford on his storytelling interests and perspective on America
• 03:47 – 06:10: Discussion of major acting roles, influence on genres
• 07:24: Redford discusses pressure of being seen as “just beautiful”
• 07:47 – 08:19: Impactful directorial debut with Ordinary People
• 08:44 – 09:17: Creation and significance of the Sundance Film Festival

Episode Tone and Takeaway

Throughout the episode, the hosts maintain a thoughtful, sometimes playful, but always respectful tone, mirroring Redford’s own understated approach to his fame and career. They emphasize his quiet complexity, creative risks, and transformative influence on Hollywood and independent cinema, leaving listeners with a renewed appreciation for how Redford reshaped American film, both onscreen and behind the scenes.

For those who haven’t listened:
This episode offers a compact, rich tribute to Robert Redford—icon, artist, and advocate. It’s a journey through his remarkable career, highlighting the enduring impact of a man who truly was his own kind of Hollywood icon.