Robert Redford about his blond male stereotype image and turned down roles in "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and "The Graduate". Redford found the niche he was looking for in George Roy Hill's "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969), scripted by William Goldman, in which he was paired for the first time with Paul Newman. The film was a huge success and made him a major bankable star, cementing his screen image as an intelligent, reliable, sometimes sardonic good guy. Redford suffered through a few films that did not achieve box office success during this time, including "Downhill Racer" (1969); "Tell
Robert Redford honorary Doctor of Fine Arts from Brown University at the 240th Commencement exercises on May 25, 2008. He also spoke during the ceremonies. On October 14, 2010, he was appointed "chevalier" of the Légion d'honneur. He was a 2010 recipient of the New Mexico Governor's Award for Excellence in the Arts On May 24, 2015, Redford delivered the commencement address and received an honorary degree from Colby College in Waterville, Maine. On November 22, 2016, President Barack Obama honored Redford with a Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2017, Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the 74th Venice Film Festival With