Why Robert Redford Tried To Talk His Way Out Of His Indecent Proposal Role

While 1994 is generally considered one of the best years ever for Hollywood cinema, the previous 12 months were pretty interesting for movie buffs, too. Steven Spielberg cleaned up at the box office and the Oscars with "Jurassic Park" and "Schindler's List;" Tom Hanks won his first Academy Award as "Philadelphia" became the first major film to tackle the AIDS epidemic; Robin Williams stalked his kids dressed like an elderly woman in "Mrs. Doubtfire," and Arnold Schwarzenegger endured the first big flop of his career with "Last Action Hero." For all that, perhaps the hottest topic of 1993 was "Indecent Proposal," but Robert Redford tried to talk his way out of his role in Adrian Lyne's smash hit.

The screen legend was well cast as John Gage, the Gatsby-esque billionaire who spots financially-struggling couple David (Woody Harrelson) and Diane Murphy (Demi Moore) in a casino and makes a very provocative offer: He will pay $1 million to spend a night with Diane. They reluctantly agree but find themselves unable to put the lucrative tryst behind them, threatening to tear their marriage apart as Gage continues to woo his very expensive date. It was a juicy part for Redford, but the actor appeared to get cold feet during the production. Producer Sherry Lansing recalls the moment she was summoned to Redford's hotel suite (via The Hollywood Reporter):

"I thought he was going to tell us he didn't like something in the script [...] But he said, 'I want out.' He said, 'The kids are wonderful, but I'm not. It's their movie.' I said, 'Bob, you're amazing.' And he said, 'That's very kind, but I have to leave.'"

We all know now that Redford had a change of heart, but what made him stick around, and what did he bring to the role that other actors might have lacked?

Once Robert Redford had established himself as major Hollywood star in the '70s, he had no qualms about walking away from projects that were potentially lucrative, or had awards potential. He backed out of "Serpico" due to financial wheeling-dealings, leaving it open for Al Pacino to earn his second Oscar nod. Later in the decade, he rejected a large pile of cash to play "Superman," reasoning that he was too famous for audiences to believe him as a caped superhero. He also ghosted "The Verdict" after unsuccessful attempts to make the lead character more palatable, vacating the role for his friend Paul Newman to notch up yet another Academy Award nomination.

In light of the latter, it is perhaps surprising that Redford found himself attached to "Indecent Proposal" in the first place. Based on Jack Engelhard's 1988 novel, the screenplay toned down one cultural aspect which might have proven controversial. In the book, the young husband was Jewish while the rich guy making the proposal was Arabic. Yet John Gage's solicitation of sex with another man's wife makes him one of the most unsavory characters in Redford's long career, and the actor generally steered clear of darker and more challenging material.

It seems that Redford wasn't exactly jumping with excitement about the movie, but it boiled down to maintaining his status as Hollywood royalty. His agent encouraged him to take the role, later reasoning: "The reality is there's a marketplace out there, and we had to protect his position in it. We can't forget the man's a movie star. He had to do some movie-star roles." Ultimately, it was only persuasion by the CAA (Creative Artists Agency) and tweaks by script doctor Robert Getchell that encouraged Redford to continue with the project.

It's hard to overstate the buzz around "Indecent Proposal" at the time. With such a scandalous high concept, it was the kind of movie people could argue about even if they'd only seen the trailer. Critics were generally negative about it, particularly those who called it out for treating women as property. That didn't stop it from becoming the sixth-highest-grossing movie of the year, even if it was only half-successful at delivering on its premise.

You could usually count on Adrian Lyne to capitalize on a lurid tale, making "9½ Weeks" a big hit and giving Glenn Close her best role in "Fatal Attraction," but he was curiously tentative with "Indecent Proposal." Having set out the titillating "what if" in the first hour, the movie shies away from exploring the very adult situation in a mature way, settling for overwrought melodrama and simplistic romantic platitudes in the back half. 

It's a film I wish someone in Europe would remake, because then we might get the frank answer that the indecent proposal requires. But at least this movie has Robert Redford. He plays Gage in his aloof and enigmatic mode, and his presence raises a fascinating question. Gage is an emotionally vacant and extremely manipulative man who will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants, but he comes across as a more sympathetic figure because he's played by Redford. That may be the point — how would we react to him if he was played by, say, early '90s Robert De Niro or Dustin Hoffman? With someone like that in the role, he might have been more sinister or sleazy, but Redford's screen presence was so intoxicating that we still find Gage alluring even as we remind ourselves that he's a total creep.