On Monday, Hollywood icon Robert Redford announced his retirement from acting—but he hasn't entirely closed the door on directing.
Redford's final film as an actor will be the forthcoming The Old Man & The Gun, a crime comedy directed by David Lowery.
In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Weekly, the 81-year-old Oscar winner and founder of the Sundance Film Festival said:
Never say never, but I pretty well concluded that this would be it for me in terms of acting, and [I'll] move towards retirement after this 'cause I've been doing it since I was 21. I thought, Well, that's enough. And why not go out with something that's very upbeat and positive?
Check it out via journalist Mark Harris' thread:
Robert Redford has announced his retirement from acting. I recently saw him in The Iceman Cometh (1960) and War Hun… https://t.co/W5QLc6pWfy— Mark Harris (@Mark Harris) 1533608535.0
@MarkHarrisNYC All is lost.— Forest Lawrenceton (@Forest Lawrenceton) 1533609525.0
@MarkHarrisNYC Terribly underappreciated in “The Way We Were,” where he did on film what he would also perfect in l… https://t.co/lPnVprwJgi— Janet Maslin (@Janet Maslin) 1533612582.0
@MarkHarrisNYC Always thought of Redford as 1 of the all-time greatest reactors in cinema. Two signature roles come… https://t.co/j4OQYdGguj— castaway (@castaway) 1533611005.0
@MarkHarrisNYC In many ways, one of the most important film figure of the 20th century.— Peter Kwong (@Peter Kwong) 1533614580.0
@MarkHarrisNYC Could have lived off his looks. But always tried to push boundaries.— James Oliphant (@James Oliphant) 1533610812.0
Many fans reflected on their favorite Robert Redford movies:
Robert Redford announces retirement. So I guess Katie & Hubbell are never ever getting back together. https://t.co/LUGzG5E0PI— MaryBeth Kane (@MaryBeth Kane) 1533563899.0
@RobLowe Barefoot in the Park, with Jane Fonda. Excellent early comedy.— Steve (@Steve) 1533567585.0
@RobLowe Great list. I'll add: Legal Eagles All is Lost Downhill Racer Spy Game Great actor. Great career. https://t.co/MqjxqhjmqV— Sid Falco (@Sid Falco) 1533567209.0
@RobLowe The Candidate! Sneakers!— Adam Scott (@Adam Scott) 1533589410.0
@RobLowe Agreed. He's also surprisingly good in The Way We Were. Way more depth of character than I realized. I did… https://t.co/gmSxBFU18a— Stephen Coss (@Stephen Coss) 1533567237.0
Rob Lowe, who called Redford his hero, also listed his favorite Redford flicks:
In honor of my hero Robert Redford’s retirement, here are my favorites of his films: Butch Cassidy, The Natural, Th… https://t.co/mjfka0teeo— Rob Lowe (@Rob Lowe) 1533566886.0
He may be closing the curtain on acting roles, but Redford's retirement doesn't mean he won't still be involved in movies.
When EW asked if he'd still direct, Redford said:
We'll see about that.
And there was more praise:
@wfaa I haven’t always agreed with his politics, but he is beyond a fantastic actor!!— Chris McMillan (@Chris McMillan) 1533570772.0
@wfaa I fell in love with him when I was 14..I am 56 and still in love..😍— Beck Fisher (@Beck Fisher) 1533613356.0
@wfaa Thanks for the great movies Robert, you entertained us for decades! You will always be Jeremiah Johnson in my… https://t.co/j7XYq1wLOj— Bob Calvelli (@Bob Calvelli) 1533610269.0