Robert Redford had a dream-like Hollywood run before his retirement in 2018. He had a celebrated acting and directing career and was showered with several prestigious accolades. The Captain America: The Winter Soldier actor is also renowned for founding the Sundance Film Festival.
While it can be undoubtedly said that Robert Redford’s career will always be a dream for many, the War Hunt actor almost lost it all in his childhood. The former actor, who is mostly known to keep his personal life private shared one of the darkest moments in his life- when he had polio at 11.
For those who are well-acquainted with Robert Redford’s past, the actor has a harrowing backstory. Sadly, life was never very kind to him on the personal front. From losing loved ones to finding himself in numerous near-death experiences, the 87-year-old saw it all.
What did Robert Redford say about his fight against polio?
Several unheard details about the actor were revealed when Robert Redford‘s memoir Robert Redford: The Biography, written by Michael Feeney Callan was released in 2011. Fans could not believe how the successful actor had to go through such a long list of personal tragedies. However, the revelation that raised many questions was regarding the Jeremiah Johnson actor’s polio battle.
When Robert Redford sat for The Fresh Air Interview (via NPR) with host Terry Gross in 2018, the latter could not believe how a perfectly athletic actor like him could have contracted the disease. The Ordinary People filmmaker clarified that it was not a very severe case. It happened due to overexerting himself in the ocean on a sunny day when he was 11.
It wasn’t a severe case. I think we should – you know, I want to make sure we get this straight. It wasn’t an iron lung case. It was a case of mild polio, but it was severe enough to put me in bed for two weeks. And because in those days, polio, before the Salk vaccine was discovered, what hung over your childhood was always the fear of polio because all you saw were people in iron lungs.
Thankfully, Robert Redford had to face nothing more than two weeks of bed rest. Nonetheless, the polio epidemic was a life-threatening issue during Redford’s childhood. Several people were also left paralyzed and constricted to iron lungs.
Before the recent COVID pandemic, it was one of the most significant epidemics until Jonas Salk developed the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) in 1952 and opened up about it to the world in 1955. Interestingly, due to his past with polio, Redford also gave a tribute of his own to the iconic virologist.
Robert Redford designed the perfect tribute for Jonas Salk
Jonas Salk became no less than a messiah when he revealed to the world his successful polio vaccine. The prominent virologist did not even patent his vaccine or try to earn profits from it. Robert Redford designed a perfect tribute for Salk when he directed a segment of the 3D documentary Cathedrals of Culture.
In the 6-part documentary series, focusing on some of the most iconic buildings, Redford’s segment highlighted the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, which was founded by Jonas Salk in La Jolla, California in 1963.
The Old Man & the Gun actor stated that his personal struggles with the disease motivated him to work on the documentary. Additionally, Robert Redford also had some memories with the building as he admitted to The Independent, that he did not grow up far from the place where the building was made.
Cathedrals of Culture can be streamed on Apple TV+.
