The death of Actor and Director Robert Redford, who was 89 years old, has been announced.

Robert Redford Dies at 89

The American film actor, who also won an Oscar for directing, Robert Redford — known for his performances in movies like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All the President’s Men, and The Sting — has given up the ghost at the age of 89.
On Tuesday morning, Redford, the Sundance Film Festival founder, which is the biggest indie film festival in the country, died.

Early Life and Career

Redford’s spokesperson in a release said that he was at his red home in the Utah mountains “the place he loved,” “surrounded by those he loved.” She also stated, He was the main character in movies that were praised by critics like The Candidate, All the President’s Men, and The Way We Were. Besides that, Redford was so determined that he should not be recognized for the good looks of a matinee-idol that he went beyond the limit of his career and played more unattractive characters, and devoted his time to theater and politics, both locally and globally.

Rise to Stardom

Redford gained popularity in the 1960s and in a very short time he became one of the most demanded leading men in Hollywood, establishing himself as a stamp of the following decade. He starred as the main character in a number of movies that received critical acclaim, including The Candidate, All the President’s Men, and The Way We Were. To make sure that he was not recognized because of his good looks as a matinee-idol, Redford went very far to overlap his acting career with different personalities and he also channeled his vigor into politics, not only on the stage but beyond as well.

Iconic Roles and Directorial Success

Redford continued to employ the same diverse range of films in the 1990s and 2000s, subsequently adding works such as Indecent Proposal, The Last Castle, and Spy Game to his filmography. With his directing works like A River Runs Through It and The Legend of Bagger Vance, he was a very successful filmmaker. In 1998, he was a little bit bold, he did both the leading and directing works of The Horse Whisperer. In fact, he is best known as the cleverly crafty Sundance Kid in the 1969 film Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, along with Paul Newman’s Butch Cassidy. Therefore, they were together for the second time in The Sting, another one of their highly praised films, and their relationship went beyond the set as they became good friends, thus, they are considered as one of the most legendary Hollywood duos.

Awards, Honors, and Later Career

Beside his well-known acting career, Redford also a filmmaker who was widely respected and a man of high moral. He got an Oscar for Best Director for Ordinary People in 1981. In total, he was nominated for four Academy Awards, his first acting nomination for The Sting, and besides that, the Academy gave him an Oscar in 2002 for his artistic contribution. Besides that, he was thrice a winner of the Golden Globe Awards over his long career, one of which was the most important Cecil B. DeMille Award for the outstanding contribution to the field of cinema in 1994. Redford didn’t stop being restless and challenging himself in his old age with his last powerful performance in All Is Lost (2013), a survival drama with barely any dialogue which received positive reviews and a standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival.

Final Roles and Lasting Legacy

Actually, in 2018, Redford was praised to the skies for his part in The Old Man and the Gun, a show that he saw as his farewell to acting.
His legend lives on through the Sundance Film Festival that he established and cultivated to one of the most significant means of the world cinema. The festival turned into a film industry pillar that deeply affected the career trajectories of the directors that radically changed the industry such as Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, Steven Soderbergh, Gina Prince-Bythewood, and Darren Aronofsky.
Redford leaves the world not only with a fantastic collection of films but also a legacy that will affect the filmmakers of tomorrow.

Honors and Personal Life

In 2016, the former US President, Barack Obama, conferred the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Redford, the highest civilian honor of the United States. When handing over the award, President Obama stated that Redford is one of the very few people whom the American fans admire “not only for his stellar acting, but for being so decisively able to figure out what to do next.” Redford has his wife, Sibylle Szaggars, and two daughters: Shauna, who is an artist, and Amy, who is an actress, and a director.
Redford had a marriage with Lola Van Wagenen, which was, however, very sad. They lost their baby boy, Scott, who died from sudden infant death syndrome, and a lot of years later, their son James passed away due to cancer in 2020.
Despite all this, Redford’s legacy as an actor, director, activist, and founder of the Sundance Film Festival is still one of the most powerful in Hollywood – and a long way beyond.

Tributes From Hollywood

After the news of Robert Redford’s demise, the celebs of the entertainment world could not hold their emotions back and started flooding with their tributes.
She who was his co-star in Out of Africa and Lions for Lambs, Meryl Streep, remarked, “One of the lions has gone. Live peacefully my lovely friend.”
While filming The Chase Jane Fonda, who was with Redford, as well as the two movies of the sixties and seventies, Barefoot in the Park and The Chase, shared a picture from their last work Our Souls at Night, a video from 2017, as a homage to their friendship and mutual support over time.

Jane Fonda Remembers Her Friend

Jane Fonda gave Bob a warm tribute that went beyond the stage and screen. “Bob did not only touch lives but in a positive way,” she mentioned. “He was the America that we dearly needed and are now fighting to keep. He shook up the world of indie movies and enamored us with so many films.”
“I am fortunate to be able to recall so many hilarious occurrences with him when She confessed, “I cried the whole morning after I learned about Redford’s death, but I found comfort in the memories.” is pranks would make me laugh… I am indebted to you, Bob, the most intimate one, for all the delight you gave me throughout the years.”

Industry Tributes to Redford’s Legacy

Among tributes were those from filmmakers, actors, and authors who recognized the staggering Hollywood and independent cinema contributions of Redford.
Ron Howard, the director behind Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind, said that Redford was “a hugely influential cultural figure for the artistic decisions” that he made throughout his career as an actor, producer, and director, moreover, that Sundance had been a “gamechanger.”
Marlee Matlin, the lead in the Oscar-winning CODA, remarked that Redford was the one who made the independent film possible. “Sundance came about because of Robert Redford. A genius has gone,” she said referring to the festival which made her film famous.
As well as to the point, Stephen King marked the passing writing: “He was an integral part of a new and vibrant Hollywood in the 70s and 80s. Unbelievable that he was 89.”

Leonardo DiCaprio Calls Redford a “Hero”

When asked about his new film One Battle After Another at its premiere, Leonardo DiCaprio spoke to Sky News and paid homage to Redford, acknowledging him as an inspiration from the start.
“He was not just a great actor-he did Three Days of the Condor, All the President’s Men-he was also a wonderful director besides being an actor,” said DiCaprio. “Quiz Show — movies that will still be around for the future. Nevertheless, at his core, he was an environmentalist with passion and he always advocated for the rights of Indigenous people. As a matter of fact, he had a very good relationship with the NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). He was a great inspiration source not only for many people in our field, but me also, I am glad to do so.”

Utah Governor Pays Tribute

Governor Utah Spencer Cox, Redford’s life, and legacy commended, noting the deep relationship neither the actor nor the director had with the state.
“Robert Redford came to Utah many years ago, and throughout the years, he never ceased falling in love with the place. We not only got a heritage of the most beautiful landscapes but also one of storytelling and innovation in Utah,” Cox said. “He brought the world to Utah with Sundance and his unyielding love for the environment. On this day, we celebrate with him and his vision, which will continue to be a source for our state.”

Sundance Institute Remembers Its Founder

After the passing incident that resulted in Redford’s death, the Sundance Institute issued a very emotional statement. Actually, the Sundance Institute, the creation of Redford in 1981, responded with a heartfelt message to Redford’s demise. “We are deeply grieving not only the loss of our founder, friend, and colleague but also the irreplaceable treasure that is Robert Redford,” the letter said. “Bob’s concept of both a place and a stage for the likes of the independent voices turned out to be the kickoff of a revolution that, not even 40 years later, is still energizing the artists’ community and has changed cinema in America and globally.”

Honoring Redford’s Spirit

The Sundance Institute named the attributes that went beyond Redford’s cinematic career.
“We will miss not only the big things he did for the arts, but also his unselfishness, his always clear goals, his never-ending thirst for knowledge, his rebellious spirit, and his love for creation,” the message went on. “We are extremely proud to be one of the places where this singular legacy, that will forever be a source of inspiration to us, is maintained.”