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When the iconic western film first premiered, the credits showed Redford alongside Newman and Ross. Today, the sequence is different—currently it reads Redford second only to Newman. The actor, as the legendary outlaw, is arguably the most sought-after male leads following the era of McQueen. But, though passably grateful, fame means little to him.

“Not a Hollywood Man”

“I don’t consider myself,” he states firmly, “part of the Hollywood machine. Do you remember that guy who walks in and out the play by that celebrated story, saying, ‘There’s no foundation—from top to bottom’? That’s, that echoes my sentiment when it comes to Tinseltown. It’s impossible to manage a creative medium like manufacturing these days, but studios keep attempting to do just that. Movies in their eyes are just like vacuum cleaners or refrigerators. It disgusts me.”

The Struggle with Downhill Racer

Naturally, we have heard similar things in Hollywood. However, Redford, who talks very quietly, appearing genuinely unsure about his own appeal, seems truly committed. One of the main reasons from he put almost two years working on the sports drama and found that taking on studios was an even harder job than the creative process.

His project, still unreleased in the UK, in spite of the fact early screenings took place well before Christmas, has been released in the US garnering responses implying that the film is not just action on slopes. “Truth be told,” says Redford, “it explores competition and competitors. That’s why I aimed to release it in the UK since skiing isn’t big here. It’s more likely that it will be appreciated as an examination of character depth as opposed to sports footage.”

“Studios preferred to premiere it in Austria, for a niche audience. However… here is a movie which shows an American competitor winning a gold medal in downhill racing. Wouldn’t that thrill them? Goodness, provided that I avoid attending. It would be brutal.”

Why This Sport?

“Why choose this sport? I believe a unique combination beauty and peril, the perfect vehicle to illustrate what sport sometimes does to men. It requires being fearlessly committed to do it at all. After experiencing it, you are never quite the same again.”

“Imagine aging skiers staying around watching newcomers. It’s sad. They can’t keep still. Their hands move restlessly nonstop. They are all shot up. Competition proves brutal, both to the sophisticated and the unsophisticated. It might train you only for the wrong things, or destroys you completely.”

A Competitive History

Having been an athlete himself, formerly a first-class American football and baseball player, potentially famous in tennis also. “Christ, I really hated to lose,” he says, “finally I reached a point I just couldn’t go on, win or lose. I used to look across the court and think—goodness, his left sock is coming down. His shoe is going to murder his skin soon, and he is so worried on winning that he won’t even feel it. Next, I’d spot an audience member, and think: ‘What the hell is he thinking right now? Is my game his proxy?, competing for him? Then I’d already lost!’”

The Forgotten Canvas

An earlier interest, perhaps secretly his main one, involved brushes. He wandered Europe for over a year in the late fifties, interacting with creative minds and thinkers, some authentic, some not. He became broke while in Italy, but met a teacher who arranged a show for his art which paid for his transportation back home. Back home, his urge to move took over. He turned to acting, first on Broadway, then television, and finally in films.

His film roles, Barefoot in the Park, Willie Boy, Butch Cassidy, the skiing movie were released rapidly. Then came Little Fauss and Big Halsey, depicting speed and rivalry alongside Pollard. Later, maybe a project on cowboy sports. Sport looks like staying with him for some time to come.

And what about painting? Redford looks a little uneasy. “Well,” he says, “I haven’t done it in years. That’s the reason I need a break from acting and resume. Can one truly reboot? Unlikely. It demands seriousness, right?. It must become your entire focus. Mind you, my first visit to London has stunned me regarding art. It’s made me itch to paint.”

“Look at the light in this place. Incredibly beautiful. Every day I’ve been here I’ve got up early strolling in awe. I’ve never seen this quality. I’ll be back before long. Maybe once the film premieres—if it ever does.”

Newman’s Savvy

“If only I were as shrewd a cookie like Newman. He’d have seen to it that the film received proper treatment this way. Take Rachel, Rachel? “Absolutely. But he too struggles against the industry.”