Tag Archives: movies that rock

Robert Redford Interview

This interview was not done buy me but was written by Charles McGrath and sent by WJS magazine. 

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ROBERT REDFORD ON:
Getting typecast throughout his career: "I think I got typed. I could feel the hardening of the arteries. I wanted to keep independent and keep myself free, but the leading man category kind of enclosed me, and therefore people couldn't see me any other way. That was the struggle I had. I remember wanting to audition for other kinds of roles, and people wouldn't even hear about it."
His youth, which included drug use, theft and an arrest: "My life was a mess. I was just off the rails."
How the movie industry has changed and why it's difficult to produce smaller films: "The mainstream part of the business became centralized, and they were going to focus on the money market, which was dominated by young people, so these smaller films got jettisoned."
Why Nick Nolte, his co-star in A Walk in the Woods, was right for the role: "What I liked about Nick was that there was this undisciplined part of him, a sort of wild side, but that he was also so smart, and a very good actor."
Work ethic at his age: "You make the most of what you've been given– that's how I see it. And you keep pushing to make more of it. I don't see any reason to stop. I think retirement can lead to death, and that's not for me."
Banking on Sundance's unexpected location: "How perverse can you get? Come in the middle of winter to see a film festival in Park City, Utah–Mormon country. I thought maybe just the weirdness would make people come."
Crediting Harvey Weinstein with Sundance's burgeoning popularity: "Harvey was the main guy. He was the first guy to come in and treat it like something major. Other people said, 'Wait a minute, what's Harvey doing out there in Utah?' and then they came too."
Missing the early Sundance Film Festival days: "Now it's like $85, $90 million over 10 days, and it's become something different. I'm happy about it, but I sort of miss those early days."
NICK NOLTE ON:
His off-camera interactions with Redford: "I don't think in real life we would associate much. I'm too Katz-like and he's more like the writer, Bryson. But we really enjoyed each other. Our main basis of communication during the shoot was talking about what time we went to bed and what shape we were in when we woke up. I remember one night I was so tired I poured myself a vodka and went to bed, and when I woke up the TV was still on and I hadn't taken a sip."