Robert Redford reportedly declined the lead role in the 1997 action blockbuster Air Force One because he felt the film was becoming too exaggerated, describing it as “approaching a cartoon”. The decision matters because the part became a major late-career success for Harrison Ford and helped define the film as a high-profile presidential thriller.

Air Force One was directed by Wolfgang Petersen and starred Ford as the US President, whose aircraft is hijacked by terrorists. Redford had already established himself as both a major screen actor and a champion of independent cinema through Sundance, making his reluctance towards a more overtly commercial action role consistent with his public views on Hollywood filmmaking.