Robert Redford, the Oscar-winning actor, director, and independent film champion, died Tuesday at 89.
He passed away in his sleep at his home at Sundance in Utah, surrounded by family.
A Hollywood Icon
Redford rose to stardom in the 1960s and became one of the most bankable stars of the 1970s.
He starred in classics like The Candidate, All the President’s Men, and The Way We Were.
In 1980, he won the Academy Award for Best Director for Ordinary People.
Redford played Bob Woodward in All the President’s Men.
He was a rugged mountain man in Jeremiah Johnson.
He later joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a double agent.
His most beloved screen partner was Paul Newman.
Together they starred in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in 1969.
They reunited in The Sting in 1973, which won Best Picture.
In 1981, Redford founded the Sundance Institute.
The annual Sundance Film Festival became the launchpad for independent filmmakers.
Directors like Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, and Paul Thomas Anderson rose there.
“For me, the word to be underscored is ‘independence,’” Redford said in 2018.
He said he wanted to give filmmakers outside Hollywood a chance to be heard.
By 2025, Sundance announced it would relocate from Park City to Boulder, Colorado.
Broadway to Hollywood
He starred in Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park on Broadway.
He reprised the role opposite Jane Fonda in the 1967 film.
Director Mike Nichols considered him for The Graduate but thought he was “too perfect” for the part.
Later Career
Redford continued starring in films while directing acclaimed projects.
His directorial debut, Ordinary People, won Best Picture and Best Director.
He later directed The Horse Whisperer, Quiz Show, and The Milagro Beanfield War.
Personal Life
Robert Redford was born Charles Robert Redford Jr. in Santa Monica in 1936.
He studied art before training as an actor at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
He debuted on Broadway and soon moved into television.
Redford was married twice, most recently to Sibylle Szaggars.
Sibylle Szaggars
He had four children, two of whom preceded him in death.
His son James, a filmmaker, died in 2020.
Redford was a lifelong advocate for the outdoors and conservation.
He supported the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and land protections in Utah.
He served on the board of the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Awards and Legacy
In 2002, he received an honorary Oscar for his career and creation of Sundance.
His influence on independent film reshaped American cinema.
Redford once said, “The idea of the outlaw has always been very appealing to me.”
