Redford’s love for the natural world, and his desire to preserve it, would go on to define his offscreen career. A lifelong advocate for nature, the actor served on the board of the Natural Recourses Defense Council and founded The Redford Center, a non-profit organization that advertises environmental solutions through films.

“I realized how important the environment was for me, and how important it was to sustain it, the predominant thinking came from people who saw it in a different way,” Redford told Conor Schlosser, one of his seven grandkids, in an interview with Orion in 2024. “They saw the environment as something to destroy so they could build, something they could develop. So very early on, when I realized the importance of the environment, I also realized that I was going to have to play a role in protecting it, and it might not be easy.”

For a deeper look at Redford’s life and career, keep reading.