Robert Redford on why he’s retiring from acting after The Old Man & the Gun

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Earlier this month, acting legend Robert Redford announced that THE OLD MAN AND THE GUN was going to be his final film as he would be retiring from the world of acting. The film tells the (mostly) true story of Forrest Tucker (Redford), a career criminal who made a habit of robbing banks and escaping from prison. THE OLD MAN AND THE GUN premiered today at the Telluride Film Festival and Robert Redford said that although he's learned to say "never say never," he feels as though it's a good time for him to retire.

"The truth is that I really do feel that it’s time for me to move into retirement," Redford said. "I’ve been doing this since I was 21. I’ve put my soul and heart into it over the years. I thought, ‘That’s enough. Why don’t you quit while you’re a little bit ahead? Don’t wait for the bell to toll. Just get out.’ So I felt my time had come and I couldn’t think of a better project to go out on than this film." Can't argue with that, especially as the actor has certainly earned it. While chatting with Entertainment Weekly several weeks ago, Redford spoke about playing Tucker in the David Lowery (A GHOST STORY) film. "To me, that was a wonderful character to play at this point in my life," Redford said. "The thing that really got me about him — which I hope the film shows — is he robbed 17 banks and he got caught 17 times and went to prison 17 times. But he also escaped 17 times. So it made me wonder: I wonder if he was not averse to getting caught so he that could enjoy the real thrill of his life, which is to escape?" THE OLD MAN AND THE GUN also stars Sissy Spacek, Casey Affleck, Danny Glover, Tika Sumpter, and Tom Waits.

The official synopsis for THE OLD MAN AND THE GUN:

THE OLD MAN & THE GUN is based on the true story of Forrest Tucker (Robert Redford), from his audacious escape from San Quentin at the age of 70 to an unprecedented string of heists that confounded authorities and enchanted the public.  Wrapped up in the pursuit are detective John Hunt (Casey Affleck), who becomes captivated with Forrest’s commitment to his craft, and a woman (Sissy Spacek), who loves him in spite of his chosen profession.

THE OLD MAN AND THE GUN will hit theaters on September 28, 2018.