Robert Redford sends thank-you note to Newport after filming

Robert Redford, founder and president of the Sundance Institute speaks at the premiere of "Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You" during the 2016 Sundance Film Festival on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2016, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Danny Moloshok/Invision/AP)
Robert Redford, founder and president of the Sundance Institute speaksduring the 2016 Sundance Film Festival  in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Danny Moloshok/Invision/AP)

NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) — Robert Redford has sent a thank-you note to the Rhode Island city of Newport, where he recently filmed a movie.

The Oscar winner was in the state last month to film “The Discovery.”

The Newport Daily News reports the one-page note is on Redford’s personal letterhead, with his signature at the bottom.

In it, Redford says he was pleasantly surprised to learn the city looks and feels almost exactly as it did when he first went there 40 years ago to film “The Great Gatsby.”

He commended the community for the vision and care it has demonstrated to preserve its historical and culturally significant properties and for its welcoming and warm spirit.

The 79-year-old won an Academy Award in 1981 for best director for “Ordinary People.”

See the letter below:

This scanned image released by the Rhode Island Film & TV Office shows a thank-you note sent to the city of Newport, R.I., by actor Robert Redford after he was there in April filming the movie "The Discovery." (Rhode Island Film & TV Office via AP)
This scanned image released by the Rhode Island Film & TV Office shows a thank-you note sent to the city of Newport, R.I., by actor Robert Redford after he was there in April filming the movie “The Discovery.” (Rhode Island Film & TV Office via AP)