Hollywood legend Robert Redford has died aged 89.
The Academy Award-winning star of the likes of All the President’s Men and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid cofounded the Sundance Film Festival in 1981. According to the New York Times, he died early Tuesday morning at his home in Utah.
Redford’s publicist Cindi Berger told the BBC the actor died “at Sundance in the mountains of Utah — the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved.”
“He will be missed greatly,” Berger continued, adding that the family are requesting privacy.
As well as All the President’s Men and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Redford starred in the likes of 1967’s Barefoot in the Park and 1972’s The Candidate. He received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in 1973 crime caper The Sting.
Happy 85th birthday to Robert Redford, who was born #OnThisDay 1936. While on Parkinson in 1980, he talked about a long running practical joke between him and Paul Newman. pic.twitter.com/YiYT9WN3w3
— BBC Archive (@BBCArchive) August 18, 2021
He went on to star in 70s classics such as The Way We Were, Three Days of the Condor, the aforementioned All the President’s Men, and The Electric Horseman. All the President’s Men, in which Redford starred alongside Dustin Hoffman, was a particular highlight. The much-loved 1976 American biographical political thriller film told the story of the Watergate scandal that brought down the presidency of Richard Nixon. It was based on the 1974 non-fiction book by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, the two journalists investigating the scandal for The Washington Post, and who were played by Hoffman and Redford respectively. All the President’s Men went on to become essential viewing for journalists in training across the globe.
Redford enjoyed success as a director, too; 1980’s Ordinary People (his directorial debut) won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. He received Best Director and Best Picture nominations in 1995 for Quiz Show.
More recently, Redford starred in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Alexander Pierce in 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, then reprised the role for 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. He had been mostly retired from acting since.
Horror legend Stephen King tweeted to pay tribute to Redford, saying: “He was part of a new and exciting Hollywood in the 70s and 80s. Hard to believe he was 89.” Stark Trek actor William Shatner took to social media to offer “condolences to the family of Robert Redford.”
Marlee Matlin, who won the Oscar for Best Actress for playing Sarah Norman in 1986’s Children of a Lesser God, wrote on X: “Our film, CODA, came to the attention of everyone because of Sundance. And Sundance happened because of Robert Redford. A genius has passed. RIP Robert.”
Oscar-nominated actor Colman Domingo also paid tribute, tweeting: “With love and admiration. Thank you Mr. Redford for your everlasting impact. Will be felt for generations. R.I.P.”
Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for IMDb.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
