Robert Redford, actor and director, dies at 89

LOS ANGELES,— Robert Redford, the Oscar-winning filmmaker and one of Hollywood’s most enduring stars whose career included both blockbusters and the creation of the Sundance Film Festival, has died at the age of 89, his representative said on Tuesday.

His representative Cindi Berger said Redford passed away in his sleep at his residence in Sundance, Utah, surrounded by relatives. She did not disclose the cause.

Redford, who was born in Santa Monica, California, on Aug. 18, 1937, became known in the late 1960s for his performances on stage and screen.

His role as the Sundance Kid in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) brought him international fame. He and Paul Newman teamed again for The Sting in 1973, another box office hit that secured his place among Hollywood’s leading men.

Throughout the following decades, Redford appeared in a series of acclaimed films, among them The Candidate, All the President’s Men and Out of Africa. He often chose characters that challenged his screen image, including in The Electric Horseman and Indecent Proposal.

In 1980, Redford directed his first film, Ordinary People. The drama won four Academy Awards, including best picture and best director. While he was nominated multiple times as an actor, directing remained one of his most celebrated achievements. He later received a lifetime achievement Oscar in 2001.

His influence extended beyond acting and directing. Redford created the Sundance Institute and its annual festival, which became a central hub for independent filmmakers.

The event in Utah grew from modest beginnings in the 1980s to one of the most recognized film festivals in the world.

Despite global recognition, Redford maintained a reputation for valuing privacy. In the 1970s, he bought property in the Utah mountains, building a retreat that served as both home and the foundation for Sundance.

He married Lola Van Wagenen in 1958, with whom he had four children, before their divorce in 1985. In 2009, he wed artist Sibylle Szaggars.

Alongside his film work, Redford supported environmental groups, including the National Wildlife Federation, and frequently spoke about ecological issues.

He also voiced liberal political views. In a 2017 interview, he criticized then-President Donald Trump, saying politics was “in a very dark place.”

Redford’s early life included dreams of becoming a painter. After losing a baseball scholarship, he studied art in Europe before moving into acting in New York. By 1959 he was performing on Broadway and later began working in television before moving into film.

He continued to act into his later years. His last major role was in Our Souls at Night (2017), opposite Jane Fonda. That same year, he said he planned to step away from acting and focus again on directing and art.

Redford once remarked, “Some people have analysis. I have Utah.” The mountain retreat he built became both his sanctuary and the birthplace of Sundance, a lasting symbol of his commitment to film.

(With files from Reuters)