Robert Redford, the iconic actor, director, and environmentalist, has died at 89 years old. His legacy has continued to shape Hollywood for decades. Celebrated for his stunning beauty and extraordinary gifts, Redford mesmerized the public for more than 50 years. Along the way, he became a symbol of male beauty and artistic integrity. Today the film industry mourns his passing. This tragedy ushers in a necessary discussion about the added difficulties of male beauty behind the Hollywood curtain.
Born in Santa Monica, California, Redford was graced with “all-American good looks that couldn’t be ignored.” He had golden ringlets, a square jaw and cute little boy smile that made him TV’s latest teen dream. Taken together, these attributes afforded him the usual benefits of an entertainment pretty-boy career. Redford’s journey went far beyond just his appearance. His immense talent and passion for the craft pushed him to pursue more complex characters.
Despite his physical charm, Redford always tried to push back against being pigeonholed as just a “pretty boy.” He just classically preferred to do really meaty, complicated work that really demonstrated his depth as a performer. This purposefulness resulted in him playing legendary figures for most of his life. In All the President’s Men, he played the legendary Bruce Headlem, investigating the Watergate scandal. This character was an example of his commitment to bring real, complicated stories to life.
In 1973, Redford appeared next to Barbra Streisand in The Way We Were. At first, he didn’t want to take on the role of her love interest. When they went on to describe the character as “a Ken doll with no dimension,” he passed on it right there. Once the character developed into a more flawed, even somewhat villainous antihero, Redford was all in. This decision once again emphasized his quest for depth in all of his performance choices.
Redford’s path to stardom was about to change in a significant way in 1969. He drew the country into theaters playing the titular, gunslinging Sundance Kid opposite Paul Newman in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. This legendary role catapulted him to the position as Hollywood’s leading man. It accomplished for him the important task of proving to the world that he was more than just a pretty face.
No generation of critics failed to credit his appearance or his commitment to the profession of acting. William Goldman famously remarked on Redford’s appearance, stating he was “just another California blond … throw a stick at Malibu, you’ll hit six of him.” Even in the face of such mainstream criticism, Redford was able to create a space of his own. He managed to be successful in an industry that is notoriously superficial.
After all, no one was more aware of the problems posed by the Redford image than Redford himself. In a candid reflection on the nature of celebrity, he stated, “this glamour image can be a real handicap. Image is crap.” He knows deep down that the beauty will always win for talent’s sake. This fight is unfortunately a reality many performers face in Hollywood’s narrow definition of success.
Joan Bakewell remarked on Redford’s serious approach to his work by stating, “he was … good looking, but he took his job as a film star seriously.” This tireless pursuit of his practice helped him break free from the restrictions that can be caused by an over emphasis on aesthetics.
Over the course of his long career, Redford worked to artfully spoil his beauty as he consistently downplayed the role of sex symbol. He was well aware that he was out of this world hot. He didn’t allow that aspect of his identity to determine his future. As he said in one of his last interviews, “I hate the word sex,” a testimony to his desire to not be typecast in these boxes.
In addition to his iconic performances, Robert Redford was an enthusiastic champion of independent cinema and many social issues. He was a strong advocate for environmentalism and fought fiercely to advance Native American and LGBTQ+ rights. His passion and action on these issues proved he was much more than an entertainer. He was someone who was really committed to wanting to do good.