The return of a legend.
Robert Redford, 88, made his first onscreen appearance in six years during the Season 3 premiere of “Dark Winds” (currently airing Sundays at 9 p.m. on AMC and AMC+). The episode’s director, Chris Eyre, exclusively took The Post inside Redford’s rare taping.
“He was adamant that – I remember distinctly him saying, ‘Whatever Chris wants.’ As we said, ‘How do you want this, and how should we do this?’ [Redford] just kept saying, ‘Whatever Chris wants,’” Eyre recalled.
In 1995, at the beginning of Eyre’s career, the director recalled being in the Sundance labs with Redford – who co-founded Sundance Institute, including the film festival, in 1981.
“He has always been generous,” Eyre said about the “All the President’s Men” star.
“I think what he wanted was to give me that right as a director and a filmmaker.”
Along with George R. R. Martin, 76, who wrote the books on which “Game of Thrones” is based, Redford has been an executive producer on “Dark Winds” since the show first premiered in 2022.
Starring Zahn McClarnon and Kiowa Gordon, “Dark Winds” is a crime drama set in the ‘70s about Navajo Tribal Police officers. It’s already been renewed for Season 4.
Redford and Martin appeared in the Season 3 premiere as jail inmates playing chess. As Redford’s character says, “George, the whole world’s waiting, make a move!” the show’s main character, Joe Leaphorn (McClarnon), gives Martin advice. He uses it to beat Redford’s character, who sarcastically quips to Leaphorn, “Thanks a lot.”
“[There were] not a lot of takes. It was very easy, I think, for Bob and George to do this,” Eyre told The Post.
The director explained that the shoot lasted about four hours, and around ten to twelve people were on set. Aside from Redford’s request to film his cameo with a closed set, the “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” star had no other stipulations and left everything up to the director — including how his hair should look.
“We said, ‘Well, it looks good with this kind of messy look that has that signature look of Redford… like his great, familiar handsome self,’” Eyre said.
The atmosphere on set that day was “just complete fun and joy and generosity,” he noted.
“I remember [when I did] the Sundance Labs, [Redford] being that generous with filmmakers. I think about the role model he’s provided for me, and so many other filmmakers over the decades, from Paul Thomas Anderson to Alfonzo Cruz. … What we wouldn’t have if he wasn’t there to guide the voice of independent filmmakers for the past four decades or so.”
Eyre said that it was “startling” to get to direct the Hollywood legend.
“I’ll never forget it. Zahn said to me, ‘I’m working with Robert Redford. Can you believe it?’ And I said, ‘Zahn, would you be quiet? You’re making me nervous!’”
The director explained that Redford wanted it to be a closed set, “Just because I think he wanted to give the deference to the filmmakers… And really just have a focused little communal pocket that the four of us could really work within.”
McClarnon will also make his directorial debut on an episode of “Dark Winds.” Eyre recalled McClarnon saying to Redford, “Hey, what are your tips for going in front of the camera and behind the camera?”
Behind the scenes as they were shooting, he said, “Bob is giving us tips on how to toggle directing and starring.” (Redford’s main tip was, “Don’t direct from a monitor.”)
Before his cameo, Redford’s last onscreen appearance was in 2019’s “Avengers: Endgame,” reprising his role from 2014’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.”
The “Out of Africa” star announced his retirement before one of his final movies, 2018’s “The Old Man & The Gun,” but at the premiere, he told Variety that announcing his retirement “was a mistake.”
Since Redford and Martin executive produce “Dark Winds,” their cameo was in the works for a long time, but it didn’t happen until Season 3 because of scheduling logistics.
“He didn’t say anything about coming out of retirement [from acting]…I think [this onscreen appearance was] a one and done,” Eyre explained.
“But, I think in one of Bob’s interviews, he said ‘never say never’ when he retired from acting. So, we would certainly welcome them in front of the camera any time, because they’re here with us behind the camera [as executive producers].”
He added, “We had a lot of laughs and a lot of fun. It was just really a great experience. Afterwards, [other cast and crew members] said, ‘Wow, we got to do that!’”
