If you’ve ever sat through a screening of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid or All the President's Men, you probably walked away thinking Robert Redford was a towering figure of American cinema. He has that presence. It’s the jawline, the hair, and that rugged, outdoorsy confidence that seems to take up the whole screen. But if you were to stand next to him in a grocery store line, you might be in for a surprise.
The question of robert redford how tall is one of those classic Hollywood puzzles that has fueled debates in bars and film forums for decades.
Honestly, height in Hollywood is a bit like a special effect. Between clever camera angles, "apple boxes" for actors to stand on, and the occasional pair of lifts, the silver screen is basically an optical illusion. Redford is a prime example of this. Depending on who you ask—or which studio press release you read—he’s anywhere from a modest 5’8” to a solid 6’0”.
So, what is the actual truth? Let's get into the weeds of it.
The Official Story vs. The Elevator Test
For years, the "official" word from the Redford camp was that the actor stood at 5’10” or 5’11”. In fact, some older press kits even pushed him up to an even 6 feet. His long-time assistant, Becky Britton, once famously noted that Redford himself claimed to be 6'0", though she admitted she’d never actually pulled out a tape measure.
But fans and journalists who have met him in the "real world" often tell a different story.
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There’s a legendary New York Magazine piece where various people who encountered him in elevators or office hallways gave their estimates. A woman who lived in his building swore he was 5’8” at most. Another source, a costume designer who dressed him for multiple films, guessed he was around 5’10” but noted he was so perfectly proportioned and athletic that he seemed much taller.
This is a common theme with Redford. He has a "narrow" build and great posture, which are the two biggest tricks for looking taller than you actually are.
Why Height Matters in the Sundance Legend
You’ve got to understand the context of his era. In the 1960s and 70s, the leading man was supposed to be a "he-man." Think of guys like Clint Eastwood (6’4”) or John Wayne (6’4”). If you were going to be a superstar, there was a silent pressure to hit that 6-foot mark.
Redford didn’t need the inches, though. He had the charisma.
When he starred alongside Paul Newman in Butch Cassidy, height wasn't an issue because Newman was roughly 5’9” or 5’10” himself. They were a matched set. But put him next to a truly tall co-star, and the movie magic had to work overtime.
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- The Proportions: Redford is famously "well-proportioned." Smaller heads and longer limbs (relative to the torso) create an illusion of height on camera.
- The Footwear: Redford was rarely seen in flat sneakers. Throughout the 70s, he almost exclusively wore cowboy boots or sturdy leather shoes with a 1-inch to 1.5-inch heel.
- The Framing: Directors often filmed Redford from a slightly lower angle, which elongates the body and makes the subject look more imposing.
robert redford how tall: Does He Shrink With Age?
It is a biological reality: we all get shorter as we get older. By 2026, Robert Redford is well into his late 80s. The vertebral discs in the spine compress, and even the most athletic men lose an inch or two over time.
If Redford was a "strong 5’10”" in his 1970s prime, it is very likely he stands closer to 5’8” or 5’9” today.
People who see him at the Sundance Film Festival these days often remark that he looks "smaller" than they imagined. Part of that is the age-related height loss, but part of it is simply that we’ve spent fifty years seeing him as a 40-foot-tall projection on a cinema screen. When you see a legend in person, they’re always just... a person.
Comparing Redford to Other Icons
To get a better sense of robert redford how tall really is, it helps to look at him next to his peers.
- Dustin Hoffman: In All the President's Men, Redford clearly towers over Hoffman. Dustin is about 5’6”. Redford looks at least 4 inches taller, which puts him right at that 5’10” mark.
- Brad Pitt: Often called Redford’s "spiritual successor," Pitt is a confirmed 5’11”. In photos where they appear together, Pitt usually looks just a hair taller than an older Redford.
- Barbra Streisand: In The Way We Were, Redford is noticeably taller than Streisand, who is roughly 5’5”. Even with her in heels and him in 70s footwear, he maintained a significant height advantage.
The Verdict on the Tape Measure
After looking at decades of film footage, police records (yes, those sometimes list height!), and eyewitness accounts, the most honest answer is that Robert Redford was likely 5’10” (178 cm) in his prime. He was never the 6’2” giant that some early tabloids claimed, but he certainly wasn't "short" by the standards of the average American man. He was exactly the right height to be a versatile actor—tall enough to be a romantic lead, but not so tall that he couldn't play an Everyman.
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The obsession with his height says more about our expectations of celebrities than it does about him. We want our heroes to be "larger than life," and when they turn out to be average-sized, it feels like a glitch in the Matrix.
How to Spot Height Tricks in Movies
If you're still skeptical, watch his old movies again with a critical eye. You can actually spot the "cheats" if you know what to look for.
Look at the ground in two-shots. If the actors are walking, are they on a perfectly level sidewalk, or is one actor slightly further back? When Redford is sitting in a booth at a diner, notice if his shoulders are level with his co-stars. Often, actors will sit on cushions to keep their heads at the same height for the "over-the-shoulder" shots.
Ultimately, Robert Redford’s stature isn't measured in inches. It's measured in the impact of Sundance, the preservation of independent film, and a career that has spanned over six decades. Whether he's 5'8" or 6'0", he's still the guy who redefined the American Western.
To see this in action, go back and watch the opening scenes of The Sting. Pay close attention to the footwear choices and the way the camera tracks Redford versus Paul Newman. You'll start to see how Hollywood uses perspective to create the "leading man" silhouette regardless of what the tape measure says.
Actionable Insights:
- Check out the 1970s film The Great Gatsby to see how Redford’s lean frame and tailored suits were used to maximize his "vertical" presence.
- Compare his height in The Old Man & The Gun (2018) to his 1970s films to see the natural progression of age-related height changes.
- Remember that "screen height" is a combination of posture, footwear, and camera focal lengths, not just biology.