Robert Redford at 72: forum users react to his looks

Robert Redford at 72: the face nobody recognized

An actor who was once a symbol of Hollywood elegance appears in a recent photo looking so different that it has puzzled fans and strangers alike. The conversation starts with a blunt question: "Do you know who this 72-year-old gentleman is?" The answer, judging by the exchange, is Robert Redford, the same man who shared the screen with Demi Moore in a film that, according to the comments, marked a turning point in his appearance. The figure that keeps coming up is his age: 72. And the astonishment, the transformation.

From heartthrob to unrecognizable man

The first reaction is disbelief. Someone points out that the actor "has looked like this ever since he made Indecent Proposal," referring to the 1993 film in which he appeared alongside Demi Moore. The explanation thrown out, half in jest, is that he became "a cocaine addict" during the shoot. It's an exaggeration, but it illustrates the contrast between the image people once had of the actor and the one now on display. Redford's looks, once associated with classic good looks, now appear badly worn, with deep dark circles and extreme thinness.

John Goodman's role and the stomach reduction

The conversation drifts toward other actors who have also undergone noticeable physical changes. John Goodman comes up, though with a caveat: "half of John Goodman." And there's a joke about Fred Flintstone having had a stomach reduction, funded, so the quip goes, by selling suitcases, wallets, bags and vests made from his own skin. These are nods that mix pop culture with celebrity news. Redford's case becomes the centerpiece of a conversation that hops from one actor to another without losing its jokey tone.

Genetics and the passage of time

Someone points out that Redford is 74, not 72, and that he was born in 1952. Another replies that, despite his age, he doesn't have "a single gray hair," which they attribute to good genetics. The disagreement over his exact age doesn't stop the astonishment from being the common thread. The image of an aged, almost unrecognizable Redford clashes with the memory of the heartthrob he once was. The conversation ends on a segarro note: "Long live body positivity," a nod to the acceptance of non-normative bodies. And with a question left hanging: is this the definitive image of the twilight of an icon?