Born: Aug. 18, 1936
Birthplace: Santa Monica, California
High school: Van Nuys High School (Van Nuys, California)
College: University of Colorado, Pratt Institute, American Academy of Dramatic Arts
Bottom line: Robert Redford was born and grew up in Santa Monica, California, but thanks to the famous Sundance Film Festival and Institute, Redford is more firmly associated with the state of Utah. He is a well-known actor, director, producer, prominent environmentalist and philanthropist.
Redford won a baseball scholarship to the University of Colorado, but dropped out of school to travel and live in Europe and train as a painter. He returned to New York and studied acting.
Redford began acting on stage and TV before moving across to the big screen. He has starred in over 60 films, including iconic films such as “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “The Great Gatsby,” “The Way We Were,” “The Sting,” “All the President’s Men,” “The Horse Whisperer” and “The Natural.”
In the 1980s, wanting to foster new independent filmmaking in the U.S., he established both the Sundance Institute and Film Festival on his property in Utah.
