Robert Redford Celebrates Milestone Birthday Today

— -- Happy birthday to Robert Redford!

The actor, director and activist turned 80 today. He's had a legendary career, starring in classic films such as "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," "The Sting" and "All the President's Men."

Redford appeared in various TV projects before landing a role in the 1962 movie "War Hunt." He broke through as a major star seven years later with the release of "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid."

Redford played the Sundance Kid opposite Paul Newman's Butch Cassidy, both train robbers on the run. The film was nominated for seven Oscars, including best picture, and won four.

Redford's career continued to rise in the early 1970s, with roles in films like the political satire "The Candidate," as well as "The Way We Were," the latter of which also featured Barbra Streisand.

"The Way We Were" was released in 1973, the same year as the debut of "The Sting,” a caper film that reunited Redford with Newman. It earned Redford an Oscar nomination for best actor.

Over the next few years, Redford starred in an adaptation of "The Great Gatsby" and the Watergate drama "All the President's Men," among other films.

The 1980s brought two of Redford's most well-known movies: the baseball classic "The Natural" and the romantic drama "Out of Africa," starring Meryl Streep.

Since then, Redford's acting credits have included "Indecent Proposal," "Up Close and Personal," "The Horse Whisperer" and "Spy Game." Marvel fans will also point out his performance as Alexander Pierce in the second Captain America movie, "Captain America: The Winter Soldier."

You can see Redford on the big screen now in Disney's remake of "Pete's Dragon."

Aside from his work in front of the cameras, Redford has directed several films, most notably "Ordinary People," "A River Runs Through It," "Quiz Show," "The Horse Whisperer" and "The Legend of Bagger Vance." He won a best director Oscar for "Ordinary People (1980)," and was nominated in the same category for "Quiz Show (1994)."

Redford received an honorary Oscar in 2002.

Redford also founded the Sundance Institute, which annually presents the Sundance Film Festival in Utah.