Screen legend Robert Redford has died at the age of 89.
The Oscar-winner died in his sleep on Tuesday at his home in Utah, outside of Provo, The New York Times reported.
The announcement of his death was made by Cindi Berger, the chief executive of the publicity firm Rogers & Cowan PMK.
Redford was one of the top Hollywood leading men for decades, appearing in blockbusters such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President’s Men.
His first big break came in 1963, when he starred on Broadway in Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park, which he would later reprise.
He often starred alongside many of Hollywood’s leading ladies at the time, like Barbra Streisand in The Way We Were in 1973, and Jane Fonda in the 1967 film, Barefoot in the Park.
The actor began directing later in life and won an Oscar for Ordinary People in 1980.
He founded the nonprofit Sundance Institute in 1981, which became a staple in the arts world for years to come.
Robert Redford during the filming of the 1975 movie Three Days of the Condor
Redford in a still from the 2015 film A Walk in the Woods
He founded the nonprofit Sundance Institute in 1981, which became a staple in the arts world for years to come
In 1984, he transformed a struggling film festival into what’s now known as The Sundance Film Festival, in Park City, Utah
In 1984, he transformed a struggling film festival into what’s now known as The Sundance Film Festival, in Park City, Utah.
It was a home for budding filmmakers to make a statement, famously featuring directors like Quentin Tarantino, Ava DuVernay, James Wan, and Darren Aronofsky.
The festival also became a place to showcase documentaries that involved serious topics, about things like climate change and reproductive rights.
However, as the festival grew more and more popular over the years, Redford spoke out against the commercialization of the event.
‘I want the ambush marketers — the vodka brands and the gift-bag people and the Paris Hiltons — to go away forever,’ Redford told a reporter during the 2012 festival, according to The New York Times.
He also continued to act later in life, as he played Bill Bryson in A Walk In The Woods in 2015, and John Gage in 1993’s Indecent Proposal.
Throughout his career, Redford won countless awards and accolades.
In 1981, he won an Oscar for Best Director for his part in Ordinary People.
However, as the festival grew more and more popular over the years, Redford spoke out against the commercialization of the event
In 1969, Redford posed on the set of Butch Cassidy & The Sundance kid, above
He often starred alongside many of Hollywood’s leading ladies at the time, like Barbra Streisand in The Way We Were in 1973, and Jane Fonda in the 1967 film, Barefoot in the Park, seen above
The actor began directing later in life and won an Oscar for Ordinary People in 1980, as he’s seen here in A Bridge Too Far
In 2016, President Barack Obama awarded Redford as a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is America’s highest civilian honor
His 1994 movie, Quiz Show, was also nominated for Best Picture and Best Director at the 1995 Oscar Awards.
Redford also won multiple Golden Globe Awards, including Best Director for Ordinary People in 1981.
In 2016, President Barack Obama awarded Redford as a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is America’s highest civilian honor.
Typically, it is awarded to ‘individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.’
Throughout his life, Redford was also a huge advocate for preserving the environment.
He moved to Utah in 1961, telling CNN, ‘I discovered how important nature was in my life, and I wanted to be where nature was extreme and where I thought it could maybe be everlasting.’
Redford was married to historian Lola Van Wagenen from 1958 to 1985, and they shared four children together – sons James and Scott Anthony Redford, and daughters Amy and Shauna Redford.
Sadly, his son James passed away in 2020 after a battle with bile duct cancer.
Redford also won multiple Golden Globe Awards, including Best Director for Ordinary People in 1981
In 2009, Redford married German artist Sibylle Szaggars, pictured above
In a 2024 interview with Orion Magazine , Redford shared his advice for young filmmakers who want to urge their viewers to care about something
Redford, pictured here with Margaret Mead and Lola Redford, recently urged young filmmakers to ‘get involved,’ and to not take it ‘lightly’
‘Well, good ones. No seriously, it has to be a good story to be a good film. That comes first,’ Redford told the magazine
In 2009, Redford married German artist Sibylle Szaggars.
In a 2024 interview with Orion Magazine, Redford shared his advice for young filmmakers who want to urge their viewers to care about something.
‘Well, good ones. No seriously, it has to be a good story to be a good film. That comes first,’ Redford told the magazine.
‘And I think on the environmental issue right now, the stories need to be encouraging in some way so that people feel motivated or inspired to care or do something about it, so they can envision a better future, which is a big opportunity for screenwriters,’ he continued.
‘We have enough stories about how people and other species are suffering from what we have done to the land and the water and the climate. The result of that is a lot of people don’t believe that anything they do will matter because the problem has gotten too big,’ he shared.
‘But we do need more people to get involved. So, we need to show them why it matters, by telling stories about people who are solving problems, really complicated problems.’
He urged young filmmakers to ‘get involved,’ and to not take it ‘lightly.’
‘Stop long enough to have something sink in with you, so you feel connected to it,’ Redford said.
‘That will give you the energy to stick with it long enough to make change.’
