Peter Sblendorio New York Daily News Robert Redford’s illustrious acting career has reached its end. The legendary film star, 81, said he’s retiring from acting after more than five decades in the industry and dozens of movie and TV roles. “Never say never, but I pretty well-concluded that this would be it for me in terms of acting, and (I’ll) move towards retirement after this ‘cause I’ve been doing it since I was 21,” Redford told Entertainment Weekly. “I thought, well, that’s enough. And why not go out with something that’s very upbeat and positive?” Redford had told the Walker Art Center in 2016 that he anticipated “The Old Man & The Gun,” which premieres Sept. 28, would be his final role, and he’s now confirming that’s still the case. His many memorable acting performances include “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” (1969), “All the President’s Men” (1976) and “The Natural” (1984), and his directorial debut – the acclaimed drama “Ordinary People” – won Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 1981 and also netted him Best Director honors. Redford didn’t confirm whether he’ll consider directing any projects in the future, telling EW, “we’ll see about that. The California-born star began his acting career with a number of TV appearances before making his film debut in 1962 with “War Hunt.” His most recent role before “The Old Man & The Gun” came last year with the romantic drama “Our Souls at Night,” which also starred Jane Fonda. In his upcoming movie, Redford portrays the real-life American criminal Forrest Tucker, a prison escape artist who carried out multiple bank robberies before his death in 2004.<doc-sep>After nearly 60 years in the business, Robert Redford has announced that he is retiring from acting. The 81-year-old actor told Entertainment Weekly that his forthcoming movie, The Old Man & The Gun, will be his last. “Never say never, but I pretty well concluded that this would be it for me in terms of acting, and [I’ll] move towards retirement after this ’cause I’ve been doing it since I was 21,” he said. “I thought, ‘Well, that’s enough.’ And why not go out with something that’s very upbeat and positive?” Redford will play career criminal and escape artist Forrest Tucker in the David Lowery-directed film. According to himself, Tucker escaped from prison, including Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary and San Quentin State Prison, 18 times successfully and 12 times unsuccessfully. He passed away in jail on May 29, 2004. The Old Man & The Gun hits theaters on Sept. 28, 2018. Sign up for our Entertainment Newsletter. Subscribe to More to the Story to get the context you need for the pop culture you love. 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Write to Megan McCluskey at megan.mccluskey@time.com.<doc-sep>After nearly 60 years, dozens of films and the admiration of countless moviegoers, Robert Redford is hanging up his acting hat.The Oscar-winner told Entertainment Weekly his upcoming film, “The Old Man & the Gun,” will be his last. “Never say never, but I pretty well concluded that this would be it for me in terms of acting, and move towards retirement after this ’cause I’ve been doing it since I was 21. I thought, ‘Well, that’s enough.’ And why not go out with something that’s very upbeat and positive?” Redford told the magazine. The film, which Redford produced, puts a cap on a decades-long career in Hollywood. Redford made his film debut in 1962’s “War Hunt” and went on to become one of the business's most successful stars, with hits like ”Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” "Barefoot in the Park," “The Way We Were,” and “The Sting.” The 81-year-old’s success was not limited to his on-screen performances. He made his directorial debut in 1980’s “Ordinary People,” starring Mary Tyler Moore and Donald Sutherland, for which he won a Best Director Oscar. Redford received the motion picture academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001. Over the course of his career Redford also won three Golden Globes, including the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille Award, as well as the Life Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild. Redford is also the founder of the Sundance Institute, a nonprofit organization behind the annual Sundance Film Festival. The organization is named for Redford’s character from “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” After nearly 60 years, dozens of films and the admiration of countless moviegoers, Robert Redford is hanging up his acting hat. The Oscar-winner told Entertainment Weekly his upcoming film, “The Old Man & the Gun,” will be his last. Advertisement “Never say never, but I pretty well concluded that this would be it for me in terms of acting, and [I’ll] move towards retirement after this ’cause I’ve been doing it since I was 21. I thought, ‘Well, that’s enough.’ And why not go out with something that’s very upbeat and positive?” Redford told the magazine. The film, which Redford produced, puts a cap on a decades-long career in Hollywood. Redford made his film debut in 1962’s “War Hunt” and went on to become one of the business's most successful stars, with hits like ”Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” "Barefoot in the Park," “The Way We Were,” and “The Sting.” The 81-year-old’s success was not limited to his on-screen performances. He made his directorial debut in 1980’s “Ordinary People,” starring Mary Tyler Moore and Donald Sutherland, for which he won a Best Director Oscar. Redford received the motion picture academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001. Over the course of his career Redford also won three Golden Globes, including the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille Award, as well as the Life Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild. Redford is also the founder of the Sundance Institute, a nonprofit organization behind the annual Sundance Film Festival. The organization is named for Redford’s character from “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.”<doc-sep>
Robert Redford is calling it a career after nearly 60 years as one of his generation's most iconic actors. Redford, 81, announced to Entertainment Weekly on Monday that his upcoming film, "The Old Man & The Gun," will be his final acting job. "Never say never, but I pretty well concluded that this would be it for me in terms of acting, and (I'll) move towards retirement after this because I’ve been doing it since I was 21,'' he said. "I thought, 'Well, that’s enough.' And why not go out with something that’s very upbeat and positive?" The man who starred in legendary films like "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "The Sting," "The Natural," "The Way We Were," and "All the President's Men" is sticking to the retirement plan he outlined in a 2016 interview with his grandson for the Walker Art Center. Robert Redford and Paul Newman became one of film's legendary duos as "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" in 1969. Getty Images Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford starred as Washington Post reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward in 1976's "All the President's Men." Getty Images Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand in a publicity still from their 1973 movie "The Way We Were." Getty Images Redford said at that time that he would do two more movies and then retire from acting. He starred in "Our Souls at Night" with Jane Fonda last year and now plays a life-long bank robber and prison escapee in "The Old Man & The Gun" with Sissy Spacek and Casey Affleck, which will be released on Sept. 28. He appeared in his first film, "War Hunt," in 1962 and achieved stardom in 1969 with the release of "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" with Paul Newman. In 1973, he received an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for his role in "The Sting." Redford also is an acclaimed director who won an Oscar for "Ordinary People" in 1980 and was nominated for Best Director and Best Picture for "Quiz Show" in 1994. He also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy in 2001. When it comes to directing any more films, Redford told Entertainment Weekly that "we'll see about that." Follow TODAY.com writer Scott Stump on Twitter.