Robert Redford, the Academy Award-winning actor, director, and founder of the Sundance film Festival, has died at the age of 89. His passing marks the end of an era for American cinema, leaving behind a legacy of iconic performances and a profound influence on independent filmmaking.
Redford’s death prompts reflection on a career spanning seven decades, during which he not only captivated audiences with roles in classics like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President’s Men, but also championed emerging filmmakers and diverse voices through Sundance. His commitment to artistic integrity and independent vision reshaped the landscape of Hollywood, and his absence will be keenly felt by the film community and moviegoers worldwide.
Born Charles Robert Redford Jr. in Santa Monica, California, in 1941, he began his acting career on stage before transitioning to television and film. Early roles led to breakthrough performances in films like War Hunt (1962) and Inside Daisy Clover (1965), establishing him as a rising star.
His collaboration with Paul Newman in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) cemented his status as a leading man, followed by further successes in The Sting (1973), earning him his only Best Director Oscar, and The Great Gatsby (1974). Redford demonstrated a commitment to socially conscious filmmaking with All the President’s Men (1976), a gripping portrayal of the Watergate scandal.
In the mid-2010s, Redford began to scale back his on-screen work, handing over stewardship of the Sundance Film Festival, which he founded in 1978, and announcing his retirement from acting in 2018. His final substantial role was in the 2018 crime drama The Old Man & the Gun, directed by David Lowery.
Throughout his career,Redford received numerous accolades,including an honorary Oscar in 2002,a lifetime achievement Golden Lion from the Venice Film Festival in 2017,and an honorary César in 2019. He was also honored with a Chevalier of the Légion d’honneur in 2010 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama in 2016.
Redford was married twice: to historian Lola van Wagenen from 1958 to 1985, with whom he had four children, and to artist Sibylle Szaggars, whom he married in 2009.
