httpss://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei5jADs6fJQ
“Like the man he played in that movie, Robert Redford has figured that out and applied his talent and charm to achieve success,” the president said.
For a man loaded with awards and honors from his time as an actor, producer, director and film incubator, Redford said it was humbling to win such a prestigious prize.
“It’s top of the list, obviously,” Redford told The Salt Lake Tribune in the East Room after the White House ceremony.
While the White House usually gives out a dozen or so medals each year – a tradition started with President John F. Kennedy – this year Obama chose 21 recipients in a wide array of fields, from an American Indian activist, the late Elouise Cobell, who fought and won a settlement against the government, to the designer of the flight software that allowed man to land on the moon to record-breaking sports stars and renowned actors.
“I’m the president; he’s the boss,” Obama said of the latter.
As the outgoing president, Obama appeared to enjoy his time with the constellation of stars sharing the stage with him Tuesday, joking and poking fun at the celebrities, even going so far as to note the movie careers of athletes earning the medal.
Redford, now 80, noted the impressive class of medal winners he had joined.