Robert Redford, the iconic American actor renowned for his performances in classics such as “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and “The Sting,” has died at the age of 89.
In a statement released by his publicist, Cindi Berger, it was announced that “Robert Redford passed away on September 16th at his home in Sundance, Utah, in the mountains he loved, surrounded by loved ones. He will be greatly missed. The family requests privacy during this time.”
Tributes from across the entertainment industry have poured in for the Oscar-winning legend, with actors like Meryl Streep and Jane Fonda sharing their condolences.
Redford, who also founded the esteemed Sundance Film Festival in Utah, received the Academy Award for Best Director in 1980 for “Ordinary People.” He formally announced his retirement from acting in 2018, citing in 2016 that he was “tired of acting.”
Meryl Streep, who starred alongside Redford in “Out of Africa,” shared a heartfelt tribute, stating, “One of the lions has passed. Rest in peace, my lovely friend.”
Jane Fonda, a lifelong friend and co-star in films like the 1967 romantic comedy “Barefoot in the Park,” remembered him as “a beautiful person in every way.”
“It hit me hard this morning when I read that Bob was gone. I can’t stop crying. He meant a lot to me and was a beautiful person in every way. He stood for an America we have to keep fighting for,” Fonda added.
Director Ron Howard, writing on X, characterized Redford as “a tremendously influential cultural figure” and an “artistic gamechanger,” while actor Colman Domingo posted: “With love and admiration. Thank you Mr Redford for your everlasting impact. Will be felt for generations. RIP.”
Speaking to the BBC, actor Leonardo DiCaprio described Redford as “an absolute legend” and expressed that his death is a “horrible loss.”
“Not only was he a great actor and did incredible political films, he was an incredible environmentalist too. He was a hero to a lot of us. It’s a great loss.”
Jamie Lee Curtis posted on Threads: “A life! Family. Art. Transformation. Advocacy. Creation. Legacy. Thank you Robert Redford.”
US President Donald Trump told journalists as he left the White House on Tuesday that “Robert Redford had a series of years where there was nobody better. There was a period of time when he was the hottest. I thought he was great.”
Former secretary of state and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton described Redford as a “true American icon”.
Posting on Instagram, she said: “I always admired Robert Redford, not only for his legendary career as an actor and director but for what came next.
“He championed progressive values like protecting the environment and access to the arts while creating opportunities for new generations of activists and filmmakers.”
The 1969 film “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” a Western about two bank robbers co-starring Paul Newman, propelled Redford to superstardom.
Despite his success, Redford often expressed discomfort with being labeled a heartthrob.
“People have been so busy relating to how I look, it’s a miracle I didn’t become a self-conscious blob of protoplasm. It’s not easy being Robert Redford,” he once told New York magazine.
He reunited with Newman for the crime caper “The Sting” in 1973, which is also considered a classic.
Despite their close friendship and on-screen chemistry, the two actors never appeared together in another film.
Redford’s biggest contribution to film was arguably Sundance Film Festival, which helped boost independent film-making in the late 80s and early 90s, to rival the period which launched his career.
Films that premiered at Sundance and went onto huge success include Four Weddings and a Funeral, Precious, Manchester by the Sea, Little Miss Sunshine, The Blair Witch Project and Get Out.
In 2014, Redford spoke to the BBC about the festival, saying at the time: “I didn’t want to do it in New York or LA… I said, let’s put it in Utah, let’s make it hard to get to. Let’s make it weird.
“We started Sundance as a place to come and develop new artists, with the ambition of creating a community and giving them a platform for their work. I don’t think our mission has changed at all,” he explained.
“Thirty years ago, these people had nowhere to go. Now I’m very proud that actually, the directors of Gravity and American Hustle – Alfonso Cuaron and David O Russell – actually came up through Sundance, and now they work in the mainstream.”
Many of the films that make it to the Oscars were helped by Sundance along the way.
“Our film, Coda, came to the attention of everyone because of Sundance,” wrote actress Marlee Matlin, who starred in the film.
“Sundance happened because of Robert Redford. A genius has passed. RIP Robert.”
Coda went on to win best picture at the Academy Awards in 2022.
Redford’s other notable roles include “The Candidate,” “All the President’s Men,” “Indecent Proposal,” and “The Way We Were.”
He also directed films such as “A River Runs Through It,” starring Brad Pitt, in 1992, “Quiz Show” (1994), and “The Horse Whisperer” (1998), in which he starred opposite Scarlett Johansson and Kristin Scott Thomas.
Redford was a dedicated environmental activist as well.
He is survived by his wife, Sibylle Szaggars, whom he married in 2009, according to CBS News.
He was previously married to Lola Van Wagenen, and they had four children before divorcing in 1995.
One of their children, Scott, tragically passed away at two months old from sudden infant death syndrome, CBS reports, and James died of cancer in 2020.
He is survived by his two daughters, Shauna, an artist, and Amy, a director.