#Fact1He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian award, by President Barack Obama, in a live televised ceremony held in the East Room of the White House, on November 22, 2016, along with twenty other recipients, the the largest, and final Medal of Freedom ceremony of Obama's presidency. At this ceremony, the twenty-one recipients, in alphabetical order, included: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elouise Cobell (posthumous award given to her son), Ellen DeGeneres, Robert De Niro, Richard Garwin, Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, Frank Gehry, Margaret Hamilton (as Margaret H. Hamilton), Tom Hanks, Rear Admiral Grace Hopper (posthumous award given to her niece), Michael Jordan, Maya Lin, Lorne Michaels, Newton Minow, Eduardo Padron (as Eduardo Padrón), Robert Redford, Diana Ross, Vin Scully, Bruce Springsteen, and Cicely Tyson.2He appeared in five films written by William Goldman: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), The Hot Rock (1972), The Great Waldo Pepper (1975), All the President's Men (1976) and A Bridge Too Far (1977).3Redford and his films were spoofed in "Cracked" magazine as "Rollicking with Redford," which was reproduced in the mass-market paperback "Half-Crackd" by Dell in 1974.4Along with Delbert Mann, Jerome Robbins, James L. Brooks, Kevin Costner and Sam Mendes, he is one of only six people to win the Academy Award for Best Director for their directorial debut: Mann for Marty (1955), Robbins for West Side Story (1961) (which he co-directed with Robert Wise), Redford for Ordinary People (1980), Brooks for Terms of Endearment (1983), Costner for Dances with Wolves (1990) and Mendes for American Beauty (1999).5He and his A Bridge Too Far (1977) co-star Laurence Olivier are the only people to act in and direct different Academy Award for Best Picture winners: (1) Olivier played Maximilian de Winter in Rebecca (1940) and directed Hamlet (1948), in which he also played the title role and (2) Redford played Johnny Hooker in The Sting (1973) and Denys Finch Hatton in Out of Africa (1985) and directed Ordinary People (1980).6The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948) is his favorite film.7His daughter, Shauna, was in a relationship with Sid Wells for three years until he was murdered on August 1, 1983. The suspect, roommate Thayne Smika, has been on the run since 1986 over theft charges. The first grand jury did not issue an indictment for murder believed to be a result of misconduct by the district attorney. After a cold case investigation in December 2010 an arrest warrant for the murder was issued. This was featured on The Hunt With John Walsh, which aired on August 10, 2014.8He appeared in two Best Picture Academy Award winners, The Sting (1973) and Out of Africa (1985), and directed another, Ordinary People (1980).9One of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World. [April 2014].10As of 2014, has appeared in four films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), The Sting (1973), All the President's Men (1976) and Out of Africa (1985). Of those, The Sting (1973) and Out of Africa (1985) are winners in the category. And in addition, directed two more films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Quiz Show (1994) and the winner Ordinary People (1980).11Grandfather of Anna Michaela Schlosser (born 1991) and Conor James Schlosser (born July 29, 1992) (children of daughter Shauna Redford and Eric Schlosser), Dylan Larson Redford (born 1991) and Lena Redford (born 1996) (children of son James Redford and Kyle Smith) and Eden Hart August (born 2008) (daughter of daughter Amy Redford and Matt August).12Like his dear friend Paul Newman, both men had firstborn sons named Scott who predeceased their fathers.13Robert Young, who was a star at MGM in the 1930s and starred in the TV series "Father Knows Best" and "Marcus Welby MD", was a cousin of his mother.14As a guest on Inside the Actors Studio (1994) (30 Jan. 2005), Redford confessed to host James Lipton that his favorite and least favorite words were, respectively, "Possible" and "Whatever".15Father-in-law of Eric Schlosser.16Married his longtime girlfriend, 51-year-old Sibylle Szaggars in Germany on July 11, 2009 at Louis C. Jacob hotel.17Lyrics to Mel Tillis' song "Coca Cola Cowboy" refer to "an Eastwood smile and Robert Redford hair".18Directed 4 actors in Oscar nominated performances: Mary Tyler Moore, Judd Hirsch and Timothy Hutton in Ordinary People, and Paul Scofield in Quiz Show. Hutton won for his performance in Ordinary People (1980).19Appeared in 7 movies that were directed by Sydney Pollack: This Property Is Condemned (1966), Jeremiah Johnson (1972), The Way We Were (1973), Three Days of the Condor (1975), The Electric Horseman (1979), Out of Africa (1985) and Havana (1990). They also both appeared in War Hunt (1962).20Ranked #53 in Empire Magazines 100 Sexiest Movie Stars of all time.21Born to Charles Robert Redford Sr., an accountant, and his wife Martha W. Hart.22Turned down the role in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969).231960: He spent his last $500 on two acres of land in Utah, an investment that would ultimately grow to 5,000 acres becoming home to his Sundance Institute. Redford purchase Timp Haven (ski resort) in 1969 and changed the name to Sundance Ski Resort which began operating under Redford's environmentally friendly policies. Sundance is located at the base of Utah's picturesque Mt. Timpanogos and in 1981 Redford formed the Sundance Institute and later the Sundance Film Festival which became too large for Sundance Ski Resort and was moved primarily to Park City, Utah.24Lifelong friends with Sydney Pollack both men having made their feature film acting debuts in War Hunt (1962).252002: Awarded an honorary Academy Award for lifetime achievement as the creator of Sundance, an inspiration to independent and innovative filmmakers everywhere.26He set up the Sundance Film Institute in Utah for independent filmmakers and in 1997 announced the creation of Sundance Cinemas, a venture with a major distributer to set up a chain of theaters for the screening of independent films. As of 2011, at least two are open.27Turned down the leading roles in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), The Graduate (1967), Rosemary's Baby (1968), Love Story (1970) and The Day of the Jackal (1973).28He often did his own stunts in action sequences but made sure the stunt men who were hired for it were paid, so as not to put anyone out of work.291970s: Considered running for the U.S. Senate seat in his home state of Utah.30In Germany he shares his dubbing voice with Patrick Stewart and Sir Anthony Hopkins.31His performance as Bob Woodward in All the President's Men (1976) is ranked #27 on the American Film Institute's 100 Heroes & Villains. This is a ranking he shares with Dustin Hoffman, who portrayed Carl Bernstein.32His performance as the Sundance Kid in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) is ranked #20 on the American Film Institute's 100 Heroes & Villains. This is a ranking he shares with Paul Newman, who portrayed Butch Cassidy.331996: Awarded the American National Medal of the Arts by the National Endowment of the Arts in Washington, DC.342005: Recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors. Other recipients were Tina Turner, Tony Bennett, Suzanne Farrell and Julie Harris.35During his senior year at Van Nuys High School, he met 15-year old sophomore Natalie Wood, who was already a star. Later in life, they starred together in Inside Daisy Clover (1965) and This Property Is Condemned (1966) and became good friends. She also played herself in a cameo in his film The Candidate (1972).36Along with Warren Beatty, Clint Eastwood, Mel Gibson, Richard Attenborough and Kevin Costner one of six people to win and Academy Award for Best Director, though they are mainly known as actors.37He is an environmental conservationist and often advocates and supports natural causes.382005: Premiere Magazine ranked him as #17 on a list of the Greatest Movie Stars of All Time in their Stars in Our Constellation feature.39Dislikes watching his own films. The only film in which he was completely satisfied with his own performance was The Sting (1973).40After his suggestions of Warren Beatty, Alain Delon and Burt Reynolds to play the role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather (1972) were rejected by Francis Ford Coppola, Paramount production chief Robert Evans suggested Redford. When Coppola demurred, preferring his first choice of Tony Awar-winning Broadway actor Al Pacino, Evans explained that Redford could fit the role as he could be perceived as "northern Italian." Evans lost the struggle, Pacino was cast and a star was born.41Was originally attached to The Verdict (1982), but dropped out prior to production because he didn't want the character to be "such a loser". Director Sidney Lumet was dismayed by Redford's demands to change the script. The role of Frank Galvin was taken over by his friend Paul Newman, who won an Oscar nomination.42Is of Irish, Scottish and English descent.43Alumni of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA).44He was voted the 30th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Entertainment Weekly.45Was given a fishing rod in lieu of the agreed $75 payment for his first professional acting appearance, on a TV game show.462004: In addition to being the graduation speaker for Bard College's 144th Commencement, he also received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from the college.47Has appeared in seven movies dealing with adultery in some form or another: The Way We Were (1973), The Great Gatsby (1974), Out of Africa (1985), Havana (1990), Indecent Proposal (1993), The Horse Whisperer (1998), and The Clearing (2004).48He and famed Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Don Drysdale were in the same high school graduating class (Van Nuys High School, Class of 1954).49He is the founder of the Sundance Film Festival, which he named after his character from the movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969).50Has done 11 period pieces, including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), The Sting (1973), The Natural (1984) and Out of Africa (1985).51He was pitcher on the University of Colorado baseball team, before losing his scholarship due to drinking.52He is a national member of Kappa Sigma, the fraternity he was member of while attending the University of Colorado.53In the early 1970s Paramount had plans to remake Double Indemnity (1944) with Redford in the Fred MacMurray role. The project never got off the ground.54Lost out on the role of Ben Braddock in The Graduate (1967) because director Mike Nichols didn't think anyone would believe Redford would have trouble getting "the girl".55Mentioned in the theme song of the 1980s TV hit The Fall Guy (1981).56He received a chevalier of the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (knight) for his work through the Sundance Institute, promoting independent film.57Was considered for the role of Michael Corleone in The Godfather (1972).58German painter Sibylle Szaggars has been his longtime companion since 1996.59Father of Shauna Redford (born on 15 November 1960), James Redford (born on 15 May 1962) and Amy Redford (born on 22 October 1970). His oldest son Scott was born in 1959 and died shortly after from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.601995: Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#4).6110/97: Ranked #29 in Empire (UK) magazine's "The Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time" list.