# In 1969, Robert Redford refused to star in a “piece of shit” movie. It was then nominated for 7 Oscars and made $175million

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/in-1969-robert-redford-refused-to-star-in-a-piece-of-shit-movie-it-was-then-nominated-for-7-oscars-and-made-175million/
- Published: 2026-11-05T15:15:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-05T17:10:11+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/robert-redford-refused-star-in-movie-nominated-7-oscars-made-175-million/
- Topics: Celebrity, Entertainment, Film

## Key points

- Redford rejected the lead role in *Love Story*.
- He called the script “a jerky piece of shit”.
- The film earned seven Oscar nominations and nearly $175 million worldwide.

## Summary

Robert Redford turned down the lead role in the romantic drama *Love Story*, dismissing its script as “a jerky piece of shit”. The film became a major success, illustrating how a role he rejected went on to earn wide recognition and substantial box-office receipts.

Arthur Hiller’s 1969 offer was for Redford to play Oliver Barrett, a Harvard student who defies his wealthy father to marry a woman from a less privileged background. Ryan O’Neal took the part and received a Best Actor Oscar nomination; the film earned seven nominations overall, won Best Original Score, and grossed almost $175 million worldwide, equivalent to more than $1.5 billion today.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.