A 'Spin' off the old block

"Ryan really can work with anyone," Redford said. "He's a fantastic young actor who's going to have a long, successful career, and we were fortunate to get him this cheap. I'll always feel great about having given him one of his first big breaks."

In addition to his film and television work, Redford is also a strong proponent of organ and tissue donation. He runs the nonprofit James Redford Institute for Transplant Awareness (www.jrifilms.org) and produced the 1998 documentary on the subject, "The Kindness of Strangers."

"Unfortunately, there's been a really negative stigma attached to organ donation because of the way it's been treated in the media and in film and television," Redford said. "But it's not all shady back rooms and black-market operations — not in this country. I know it sounds like a clich�, but it really is the gift of life."

And Redford should know. He was diagnosed with a liver ailment more than 10 years ago, and if not for an organ transplant, he might not have survived. "There's nothing like a healthy dose of your own mortality to show you how things really are," he said with a laugh. "But seriously, I still have my life because of the generosity of another person."

Consequently, Redford and the film's producers held a fund-raising screening of the film last weekend in Utah County. "We're doing anything and everything we can to spread the word about organ donation."

Redford actually wrapped production on "Spin" in 2003 and says he's now already looking forward to future projects, whether or not he directs them. He and Axinn are talking about collaborating, and he's already at work adapting another Tony Hillerman novel for television.

"I seem to be on a bit of a roll here," Redford said, "and it'd be foolish for me to stop. Besides, I'm loving what I'm doing right now."

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E-mail: jeff@desnews.com