Robert bids farewell to acting with ‘Old Man’

Robert Redford bowed out on Monday from a 50-year acting career, calling what he has said will be his final movie “a wonderful film to go out on.” The Toronto Film Festival audience erupted with applause after the screening of comedy caper The Old Man & the Gun in which Redford, 81, plays a charming, real-life bank robber who was caught 17 times during the course of a 60 year crime career but who managed to escape from jail every time.

“I’ve always been attracted with the idea of outlaws since I was a kid and I played that out in my work a lot, so this just followed suit,” the Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid star said.

“It’s just an upbeat film. It’s a true story. It’s a wonderful film to go out on,” he said.

Redford said last month that he would retire from acting after the release of The Old Man & the Gun. He has said he wants to spend more time on art — his first love — and plans to continue directing.—Reuters