Robert Redford

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Redford

He's just about the best male actor of my life time. His movies have certainly had a profound impact on me. He's amazing as an actor, a director and producer. Something about him always spelt the word integrity.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid made me a life long fan. With Barbara Streisand in the Way We Were he stole my heart. His love stories simply brought such depth to theatre. Out of Africa still lingers.

All the President's Men and Brubacher raised my political awareness and touched my conscience. Movies like a Bridge Too Far and Havanna gave me insight into history. Always he was true. The psychology of Ordinary People and Indecent Proposal was unsurpassed while the Horse Whisperer simply touched the soul.

I've just watched Spy Games. I loved it when I first saw it at the theatre and yet I've enjoyed it even better the second time through. I'm not one to watch movies over and over again. I like them to age. Turner Classic Theatre is my cup of tea. But Robert Redford's movies I can watch again and again because there's so much nouance of expression and depth of character as well an ageless joie d' vivre.

I was amazed to learn he was a baseball star. How very typically American can one get. Then to learn he lost a scholarship through drinking only to rise above that past to his later fame and fortune. I like the true love story of his life that clearly has given him the depth of character that he forever portrays.

Just as I've loved his acting I've loved his directing, the latest being Lions for Lambs and so enjoyed his production, the Motorcycle Diaries.

I like what I've heard of Sundance, too. Those who I've met who have known and worked with Mr. Redford all speak of him as a gentleman. His genius is quiet and American in the best of the sense of that word. I'm just simply thankful for his work.