3 Robert Redford Films That Honor His Unforgettable Talent

If you love American cinema, there’s a high chance a Robert Redford film is in your all-time faves. The iconic actor got his start in guest roles on television series like The Twilight Zone and Broadway productions like Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park. Acclaim for his performance in Simon’s play  led Redford to break into film. After a few minor roles, he landed a starring role in 1969’s Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, launching his career into the stratosphere.

Redford’s performances define ’70s cinema: his Oscar-nominated turn as a grifter in The Sting, his devastating romance with Barbra Streisand in The Way We Were, his portrayal of a compromised politician in The Candidate — a movie that Barack Obama called “the best movie about what politics is actually like, ever” in his remarks at Redford’s Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony in 2016. After producing and starring in All the President’s Men, a revelatory look at the Watergate scandal, the actor tried his hand at directing. His directorial debut, Ordinary People (1980), won four Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Picture.

He continued to star in and direct memorable stories throughout the ’90s, ’00s, and ’10s, and also founded and established the Sundance Film Festival, which focuses on highlighting indie stories from outside the Hollywood system. 

In honor of his expansive career, here are three Redford movies to check out on Netflix now.