It would be a stretch to say that Clint Eastwood and Robert Redford were two of their era's best actors in terms of dramatic prowess, range, and versatility. On the other hand, it's 100% accurate to say that they were two of their generation's defining movie stars, and they'll both be remembered as icons.
Another thing they have in common is that they both moved behind the camera and won an Academy Award for 'Best Director'. Redford did it faster, though, claiming the prize for his feature-length debut, Ordinary People, while Eastwood had to wait until his 16th picture, Unforgiven, to win the big one.
They were also pivotal figures in the 'New Hollywood' movement, rising up the ranks in the 1960s before spending the next decade reigning as two of the biggest and most bankable names in the business. However, there was one major difference between them, and it had everything to do with their stardom.
Whereas Eastwood never seemed too concerned with stretching himself, diving headlong into immersive character studies, or venturing too far outside of his wheelhouse, Redford craved it. He always dreamed of being taken seriously as a thespian, but he was frustrated by the fact that he was too damned handsome, charming, and charismatic for his own good, which saw him spending years fending off the 'pretty boy' accusations.
The high-powered pair never worked with each other, but since they travelled in many of the same circles, they were acquaintances. If they did ever find themselves having a conversation about the ins and outs of their crafts, then at least they had one thing they could fully agree on: that James Cagney was the greatest actor to ever set foot on the silver screen.
Eastwood didn't just think the White Heat star was the best ever; he was the only onscreen performer that he grew up idolising. He literally said, "I was never a fan of one particular actor outside of James Cagney," which illustrates just how deep his admiration for the 'Golden Age' favourite ran.
In fact, the actor and filmmaker doubled down on his appreciation, stating that "movies were invented for Jimmy Cagney, and he was invented for the movies." He called the combination of performer and medium "a perfect match" for each other, so he might well be the biggest superfan of them all.
As for Redford, when he reflected on the actors who influenced and inspired him when he dreamed of making it in cinema, one name effortlessly rolled off the tip of his tongue. "I admire Jimmy Cagney," he declared. "Cagney is an incredible talent." They're not wrong, and they're far from the only indelible figures etched into Hollywood history who'd say so.
Everyone from Gene Hackman and Orson Welles to John Travolta and Stanley Kubrick has cited Cagney as one of the most gifted thespians they've ever seen, so as much as Eastwood and Redford are in agreement, it's not as if they're in the minority, either.