Robert Reed his Broadway stage debut as Paul Bratter in Neil Simon's "Barefoot in the Park", replacing Robert Redford. For the remainder of the decade, Reed appeared primarily in television guest spots, including roles in "Family Affair", "Ironside", "The Mod Squad", and "Bob Hope Presents The Chrysler Theatre". He also appeared in the 1968 film "Star!" and in the Broadway production of "Avanti!". Appearing in the Neil Simon play "Barefoot in the Park" led to two new contracts at Paramount Pictures and ABC, both in 1968. When Paramount had decided to turn the television version of "Barefoot in the Park" into a
Robert Redford for best new star. He starred in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969), which was a huge success and made him a major star. He had a critical and box office hit with "Jeremiah Johnson" (1972), and in 1973 he had the greatest hit of his career, the blockbuster crime caper "The Sting", for which he was nominated for an Academy Award. The popular and acclaimed "All the President's Men" (1976) was a landmark film for Redford. The first film that Redford directed, "Ordinary People" (1980), was one of the most critically and publicly acclaimed films of the decade,