As an actor and filmmaker, Robert Redford worked with some of the most exalted names in cinema history, becoming a legendary star in his own right.
It’s difficult enough to make it in Hollywood, never mind thriving there for decades, but thanks to his combination of dramatic ability and megawatt charisma, Redford survived several major shifts in the landscape without losing his position at the top of the A-list.
Making his screen debut in 1960, Redford was a household name by the end of the decade after headlining Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid alongside Paul Newman, a first-time collaboration that gave rise to a long-lasting friendship between the two icons.
Seeking to broaden his horizons, Redford segued into directing and ended up winning the Academy Award for ‘Best Director’ with his debut feature, Ordinary People, proving himself to be a master of two different disciplines. Whether in front of the camera or behind it, he knows a generational talent when he sees one, even if the one he celebrated for their “fundamental talent” worked with him on two movies that received wildly different reactions.
Redford and Meryl Streep first co-starred in 1985’s Out of Africa, the classic romantic epic that won seven Oscars, including ‘Best Picture’ and ‘Best Director’, and soared past $220million at the global box office. When they reunited more than two decades later, the results weren’t quite the same.
The combination of Redford, Streep, and Tom Cruise was a tantalising one on paper, but 2007’s political drama Lions for Lambs didn’t come close to living up to the expectations that came with a trio of Hollywood heavyweights pitting their wits against each other in a dialogue-heavy chamber piece.
When asked for his opinion on Streep, Redford told it like it is, calling her “top of the line”. Possibly an understatement seeing as she’s the most-nominated actor in the history of the Oscars, but he did at least expand upon his original – and entirely accurate – point.
“Meryl is about as accomplished as you can get because she’s made it her business to be accomplished,” he said to Esquire. “First of all, she starts with a fundamental talent. And what I admire about Meryl is that she stayed focused on that. And she’s developed that to perfection. She’s made it her business to be really, really good at her craft. And she is.”
Streep has never been too keen on the way she’s been continually fawned over and spoken of in such hushed and reverential tones, but to be blunt, it’s her own fault. If she wasn’t one of the greatest actors to ever grace the silver screen, then folks wouldn’t talk about her as such. Obviously, she is, and that’s why Redford thinks she’s about as close to perfect as it gets.