Movie legend Robert Redford dies aged 89

United States (US) acting legend Robert Redford, best known for roles in ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ and ‘The Sting’, has died at the age of 89.

In a statement, his publicist, Cindi Berger, said: “Robert Redford died on 16 September at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah – the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved. He will be missed greatly. The family requests privacy.”

Tributes have been paid to the Oscar-winning star of ‘Out of Africa’, by stars including Meryl Streep and Jamie Lee Curtis.

Redford, also famous for founding Utah’s Sundance Film Festival, won a best director Oscar in 1980 for ‘Ordinary People’

He announced his retirement from performing in 2018, having said in 2016 that he was “tired of acting”.

Hollywood actress Streep, who co-starred with him in ‘Out of Africa’, led the tributes, saying: “One of the lions has passed. Rest in peace, my lovely friend.”

Jamie Lee Curtis posted on Threads: “A life! Family. Art. Transformation. Advocacy. Creation. Legacy. Thank you, Robert Redford.”

Director Ron Howard, writing on X, described Redford as “a tremendously influential cultural figure” and an “artistic game changer”, while actor Colman Domingo posted: “With love and admiration. Thank you Mr Redford for your everlasting impact. Will be felt for generations. RIP.”

AFP reported that US president Donald Trump told journalists as he left the White House on Tuesday: “Robert Redford had a series of years where there was nobody better. There was a period of time when he was the hottest. I thought he was great.”

In his most recent post on his Instagram page, Redford wished himself a happy birthday on 18 August.

Featuring a slideshow of pictures of himself throughout his career, he thanked fans for their support “through every step”, saying it “meant the world”.

He referenced his achievements from his breakout movies to receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

“Growing up working class in Santa Monica, I faced setbacks flunking out of college, losing my mom young. I hustled through small TV roles, learned on Broadway, and took risks directing and building Sundance. Personal losses, like my son Scott’s death, taught me resilience. It was grit, passion, and a love for art that got me here.”

He added: “I’m thrilled my films, from ‘The Sting’ to ‘A River Runs Through It’, have moved you, sparked conversations, or brought comfort. Sundance has given new filmmakers a voice, and my environmental work has inspired some to care for our planet. Your support makes it all worthwhile, thank you for being part of my journey.”

It was 1969’s Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, a Western film about two bank robbers, co-starring Paul Newman, that made Redford an overnight star.

But despite his success, Redford was never comfortable with his tag as a good-looking heartthrob.

“People have been so busy relating to how I look, it’s a miracle I didn’t become a self-conscious blob of protoplasm. It’s not easy being Robert Redford,” he once told New York Magazine.

He teamed up again with Newman for crime caper The Sting in 1973, also considered a classic.
But despite their long-running friendship and on-screen chemistry, the pair never appeared on screen together again.

SUNDANCE IMPACT

Redford’s biggest contribution to film was arguably Sundance Film Festival, which helped boost independent film-making in the late 80s and early 90s, to rival the period which launched his career.

Films that premiered at Sundance and went onto huge success include ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’, ‘Precious’, ‘Manchester by the Sea’, ‘Little Miss Sunshine’, ‘The Blair Witch Project’ and ‘Get Out’.

In 2014, Redford spoke with the BBC about the festival – saying at the time: “I didn’t want to do it in New York or LA […] I said, let’s put it in Utah, let’s make it hard to get to. Let’s make it weird.

“We started Sundance as a place to come and develop new artists, with the ambition of creating a community and giving them a platform for their work. I don’t think our mission has changed at all,” he explained.

“Thirty years ago, these people had nowhere to go. Now I’m very proud that actually, the directors of Gravity and American Hustle – Alfonso Cuaron and David O Russell – actually came up through Sundance, and now they work in the mainstream.”

Many of the films that make it to the Oscars were helped by Sundance along the way.

“Our film, Coda, came to the attention of everyone because of Sundance,” wrote actress Marlee Matlin on X, who starred in the film.

“Sundance happened because of Robert Redford. A genius has passed. RIP Robert.”

Coda went on to win best picture at the Academy Awards in 2022.

ON-SCREEN CHEMISTRY

Redford’s other roles included ‘The Candidate’, ‘All the President’s Men’, ‘Indecent Proposal’ and ‘The Way We Were’.

He also turned his hand to directing, including ‘A River Runs Through It’, starring Brad Pitt, in 1992, ‘Quiz Show’ (1994) and ‘The Horse Whisperer’ (1998), in which he starred opposite Scarlett Johansson and Kristin Scott Thomas.

Redford was also a keen environmental campaigner.

He leaves behind his wife Sibylle Szaggars who he married in 2009, according to CBS News.

He had previously been married to Lola Van Wagenen – the couple had four children before divorcing in 1995.

One of their children, Scott, died at the age of two months from sudden infant death syndrome, CBS reports, and James, died of cancer in 2020.

He is survived by two daughters – Shauna, an artist, and Amy, a director. – BBC

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