Robert Redford's tender 'Twilight Zone' portrayal of Death: 'It isn't me you're afraid of'

Hollywood legend and activist Robert Redford died on September 16 at age 89, leaving behind a filmography so vast and diverse, it’s tough to pinpoint one performance as his most essential. But when the news of his passing broke, many fans instantly thought of the actor’s classic early role on The Twilight Zone—a surprisingly tender portrayal of Death. It’s remained a haunting performance over the decades, but now it resonates on a deeper level.

"Nothing in the Dark," episode 16 of the anthology series’ third season, originally aired on January 5, 1962. And while it’s rarely mentioned in the same breath as "Time Enough at Last" or "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street," it’s still generally considered a staple—even ranking 18 out of 156 on IMDB’s user-voted ranking.

The young Redford’s bittersweet turn is probably the biggest reason for its staying power. We’re introduced to his character as "Harold Beldon," a police officer who’s been shot near the home of an elderly woman named Wanda Dunn (Gladys Cooper). Though reclusive, fearing that any stranger could be Death arriving to summon her, she lets Harold in and nurses him back to health.

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Eventually, through a clever scene involving a mirror, she realizes that her worst fear has come true: Harold is Death, and he’s tricked her in order to get close. And while the episode could have more or less ended here with a sort of macabre framing, writer George Clayton Johnson and director Lamont Johnson made a surprising and satisfying pivot: Redford’s version of Death is a warm, sweetly smiling companion, here to wash away his new friend’s fears.

In the final scene, Wanda confronts Death about his deceit. "I had to make you understand," he replies with a grin. "Am I really so bad? Am I really so frightening? You’ve talked to me. You’ve confided in me. Have I tried to hurt you? It isn’t me you’re afraid of. You understand me. What you’re afraid of is the unknown. Don’t be afraid. The running’s over. It’s time to rest. Give me your hand. Trust me. Mother, give me your hand. You see? No shock. No engulfment. No tearing asunder. What you feared would come like an explosion is like a whisper. What you thought was the end is the beginning."

Tears streaked across her face, Wanda grabs Death by the arm as they stroll out the doorway of her once-dark and cave-like apartment, out into the glimmering sunlight.

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After Redford’s death, this climactic sequence went viral on Reddit, with numerous fans praising both the actor’s unique characterization and the story itself.

"George Clayton Johnson was a heck of a writer," one user wrote. "Cooper and Redford brought so much warmth to this story." Another user added, "His handsomeness offsets the terror represented by the character of Death in such an interesting way, almost soothing somehow."

"Yeah, that was really special," Redford reflected at the 2014 Santa Barbara International Film Festival. "It was a wonderful script. I had the pleasure of playing opposite Gladys Cooper, a wonderful English actress who was very old at that time…I just loved the idea of playing that character because he had to be absolutely the opposite of what you would think of as Mr. Death. He had to be kind and compassionate."

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