Legendary actor, director and Sundance founder Robert Redford has died at the age of 89.
His publicist, Cindi Berger, confirmed that Redford passed away at his home in Utah’s Sundance Mountain retreat, “surrounded by those he loved.”
One of Hollywood’s most influential stars, Redford rose to fame with classics such as ‘Butch Cassidy and the ‘Sundance Kid’ (1969), ‘The Sting’ (1973) and ‘All the President’s Men’ (1976).
He later won the Academy Award for Best Director with his 1980 debut film ‘Ordinary People’.
Beyond his screen career, Redford championed independent filmmaking, founding the Sundance Institute in 1981 and its now world-renowned Sundance Film Festival.
The festival has launched the careers of filmmakers including Quentin Tarantino and Steven Soderbergh, and spotlighted films such as Reservoir Dogs, The Blair Witch Project, Little Miss Sunshine and CODA.
Tributes have poured in from across Hollywood. Director Ron Howard called Redford a “tremendously influential cultural figure,” while co-star Meryl Streep said, “one of the lions has passed.” Actor Antonio Banderas hailed him as “an icon of cinema in every sense,” and the Sundance Institute remembered his “generosity, rebellious spirit and love for the creative process.”
Redford leaves behind a towering legacy as a Hollywood icon, independent film pioneer and lifelong environmental activist.
