Who is Robert Redford from Lila: An Inquiry Into Morals and what is their importance?

One of the reasons Phaedrus is sailing to Manhattan is to meet with Robert Redford. The two are meeting to negotiate the movie rights for Phaedrus's first book. Phaedrus—a minor celebrity in his own right—is uncharacteristically star struck by the actor, who represents the ultimate in celebrity A-list. Redford enters the meeting ready to negotiate, but Phaedrus, overwhelmed, hastily offers the film rights to his movie, and their encounter ends quickly.