Hollywood is mourning the death of Robert Redford, one of cinema’s most enduring stars, who passed away in his sleep early Tuesday at his home in Utah. He was 89.
Redford’s publicist, Cindi Berger of Rogers & Cowan PMK, confirmed his passing to U.S. media but did not disclose a cause of death. News of the actor’s death has sparked an outpouring of tributes from across the film industry and beyond, honoring a man whose career reshaped Hollywood on and off the screen.
From Screen Heartthrob to Hollywood Legend
Born Charles Robert Redford Jr. on August 18, 1936, in Santa Monica, California, Redford rose from modest beginnings to become one of the defining faces of American cinema. His big break came in 1969 when he starred alongside Paul Newman in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, a film that cemented his image as the charming, rebellious antihero of the late 1960s.
Throughout the 1970s, Redford headlined a string of box-office successes, including The Sting (1973), which reunited him with Newman and won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. His filmography reflected both star power and range, from political dramas like All the President’s Men (1976), where he portrayed journalist Bob Woodward, to romantic classics like The Way We Were (1973) opposite Barbra Streisand.
Known for his tousled hair and freckled charm, Redford became a reluctant sex symbol, preferring to focus on meaningful storytelling over celebrity culture.
Pioneering Work Behind the Camera
After two decades as one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars, Redford turned his attention to directing. His directorial debut, Ordinary People (1980), was a critical triumph, earning him an Academy Award for Best Director.
Beyond filmmaking, Redford’s most lasting legacy may be the Sundance Institute and Sundance Film Festival, which he co-founded in 1981 to support independent cinema. Sundance became a launchpad for generations of filmmakers, from Quentin Tarantino to Ava DuVernay, and helped redefine what independent film could achieve.
Activism and Personal Life
Away from Hollywood, Redford was a committed environmentalist. He worked tirelessly to preserve the wild beauty of Utah, where he made his home, and advocated for renewable energy and climate action long before it became mainstream in Hollywood.
Despite his celebrity, Redford remained notoriously private about his personal life. He was married twice, first to Lola Van Wagenen, with whom he had four children, and later to painter Sibylle Szaggars in 2009.
A Legacy That Shaped Generations
Redford’s influence stretches far beyond the screen. He represented a golden era of American cinema while pushing it toward a future where storytelling was more inclusive, daring, and artist-driven.
Hollywood stars and filmmakers flooded social media on Tuesday with tributes, calling him a “mentor,” “visionary,” and “a giant who changed the game.”
Though Redford had largely retired from acting in recent years, his contributions to film, as actor, director, producer, and festival founder, remain deeply woven into the fabric of the industry.
As fans revisit his classics, from The Great Gatsby to All Is Lost, one thing is clear: Robert Redford’s work, and the doors he opened for others, will endure for generations.
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