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Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Robert Redford charms Rotorua locals

Matthew Martin
By Matthew Martin
Senior reporter, Rotorua Daily Post·Rotorua Daily Post·
17 Mar, 2015 06:07 PM3 mins to read

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From left, Temuera Morrison, Sibylle Szaggars, and Robert Redford in St Faiths Church. PHOTO/ANN SOMERVILLE

From left, Temuera Morrison, Sibylle Szaggars, and Robert Redford in St Faiths Church. PHOTO/ANN SOMERVILLE

He's one of the most influential people in the modern film industry and according to Rotorua locals, he is also friendly and down to earth.

Robert Redford, 78, who is in the region filming for the Disney remake of Pete's Dragon, has been spotted around Rotorua recently, visiting local landmarks and one of the city's top-rated restaurants.

Restaurateur Leonardo Baldi (left), Robert Redford and chef Mike Robb. Photo / Supplied
Restaurateur Leonardo Baldi (left), Robert Redford and chef Mike Robb. Photo / Supplied

The star of films including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), The Sting (1973), All the President's Men (1976) and Out of Africa (1985), Redford is also an acclaimed Academy Award winning director and founder of the Sundance Film Festival.

On Monday night he and his wife Sibylle Szaggars had dinner at Leonardo's Pure Italian.

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Owner Leonardo Baldi said Redford was keen to come back for another meal and to collect a T-shirt promised to him by Mr Baldi. "He's a really humble man, I think his agent called to make the booking because they wanted to keep it under the radar.

"It was pretty awesome because we also had Karl Urban in here the week before ..."

Mr Baldi said he and his staff had a good chat with Redford.

"He is planning a trip to Italy and asked me and one of my staff where he should go. He said he really loved it here and asked for one of our T-shirts. I didn't have any clean ones so he said he'd come back. It was really neat, people here recognised him and were giggling at their tables," Mr Baldi said.

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Last week he also took a tour around Ohinemutu and visited St Faith's Church.

St Faith's Church welcomer Ann Somerville said she was at the church welcoming people with Jenny West at the door and "just happened to welcome in one of the most famous people in the world".

Redford was accompanied by his wife and Rotorua's own Temuera Morrison.

"Temuera ... said, 'I have Robert Redford with me', and I thought he was kidding until he came in and it clicked into place. He was showing him the features of the church in his usual aplomb, particularly the Galilee window.

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"I've been a fan from way back, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is one of my favourite movies ever and the contribution he has made to art and film, with the Sundance Film Festival is amazing."

Ms Somerville said he was "absolutely the most famous person" she had met and he was happy to have a photo with them. She said she was too star-struck to talk to him further.

"They were very lovely, particularly his partner, and it was little bit of thrill for us. It's so great they chose to visit St Faith's, such an icon of Rotorua."

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