In his own words: Robert Redford on independence, integrity and his enduring roles

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As the world reflects on Robert Redford’s death, his own words illuminate the essence of his career as an Oscar-winning actor, director and founder of the Sundance Film Festival who championed truth, independence and new voices.

Redford, who died Tuesday at 89, leaves behind a legacy of freedom, artistry and opportunity. His words — captured here by The Associated Press over numerous interviews — reflect the philosophy that guided his life and career from “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” to “All the President’s Men” and beyond.

“I was not a name equal to Paul’s. I was just sort of moving up at that time. There was a big argument that went on for months and months. They said it had to be a star. (Newman) said, ‘Well, I want to work with an actor,’ because Paul respected acting. Had it not been for Paul, I would not have gotten that break.”

— Redford in 2015, reflecting on how Paul Newman’s insistence on working with him changed the course of his career and life.

“Nixon had already resigned and the held opinion (in Hollywood) was ‘No one cares. No one wants to hear about this,’ And I said, ‘No, it’s not about Nixon. It’s about something else. It’s about investigative journalism and hard work.’”

— Redford in 2006, speaking about the film about how Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein exposed the Watergate scandal, which ultimately led to President Richard Nixon’s resignation.

“I wanted to know who these guys were, who created all this disturbance. I thought, ‘Wow, one guy was a Jew, one guy was a WASP. One guy was a Republican, the other guy was a liberal. One guy was a good writer, the other wasn’t very good. They didn’t like each other, but they had to work together. Now that’s an interesting dynamic I’d love to know about.’”

— Redford reflecting on his fascination with Woodward and Bernstein, whose unlikely partnership unraveled the Watergate scandal.

“For me, the word to be underscored is ‘independence.' I’ve always believed in that word. That’s what led to me eventually wanting to create a category that supported independent artists who weren’t given a chance to be heard. The industry was pretty well controlled by the mainstream, which I was a part of. But I saw other stories out there that weren’t having a chance to be told and I thought, ‘Well, maybe I can commit my energies to giving those people a chance.’ As I look back on it, I feel very good about that.”

— Redford in 2018, speaking about how he came to create the Sundance Institute and Sundance Film Festival, which became a cornerstone for independent cinema and launched countless groundbreaking filmmakers.

“As it grew, so did the crowds, so did the development in Park City. Well, at some point, if both those things continue to grow, they’re going to begin to choke each other. So then I have to think about, oh, do we now risk being who we are in the first place? Do we risk (losing) the heart and soul of what we were when we started against the odds. … Do we have to now rethink things?”

— Redford in 2016, reflecting on how Sundance’s explosive growth brought both opportunity and risk, questioning whether swelling crowds and Park City’s development threatened the festival’s original spirit and authenticity.

“I’m enjoying it a lot. I’m going back to the way I started before I became a filmmaker which was to be an artist, a painter and a sketch artist. I missed that. That’s how I observe the world around me. I come to understand people by sketching them. If you sketch them can you see something deeper in them? It’s kind of a challenge but it’s fun.”

— Redford in 2020.

“I just figure that I’ve had a long career that I’m very pleased with. It’s been so long, ever since I was 21. I figure now as I’m getting into my 80s, it’s maybe time to move toward retirement and spend more time with my wife and family.”

— Redford in 2018 describing the movie and role of an aging bank robber that he said would be his farewell to acting. Redford had later on-screen roles in “Avengers: Endgame” and “Dark Winds.”