Renowned actor, director, and activist Robert Redford tragically passes away at the age of 89.
Robert Redford, the Oscar-winning actor and founder of the Sundance Institute and Festival, has died at the age of 89. The news of his passing was confirmed, but no cause of death was provided.
Redford made his breakthrough alongside Paul Newman as the affable outlaws in the hippy Western 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' in 1969. This film solidified his status as a leading man in Hollywood. His acclaimed performances in 'All the President's Men' and 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' are still remembered today.
Redford's career spanned over five decades, during which he skewered his golden-boy image in roles like the alcoholic ex-rodeo champ in 'The Electric Horseman' and the middle-aged millionaire who offers to buy sex in 'Indecent Proposal'. He also made hearts beat faster in romantic roles such as 'Out of Africa'.
In a 2017 interview during the presidency of Donald Trump, he suggested that Trump should 'quit for our benefit'. Although he never showed an interest in entering politics, he often espoused a liberal viewpoint.
Redford launched the Sundance Institute and Festival in the 1970s, promoting independent filmmaking. The Sundance Festival has since become one of the most influential independent film showcases in the world.
In 2001, he won an honorary, or lifetime achievement, Oscar. He used his star status to quietly champion environmental causes such as the Natural Resources Defense Council and the National Wildlife Federation.
Robert Redford was intensely private and bought land in remote Utah for his family retreat. He was married for more than 25 years to his first wife before their divorce in 1985. His second wife was the German painter Sibylle Szaggars, whom he married on July 11, 2009, in Hamburg.
Despite their chemistry and long personal friendship, Redford was never to team up again with Paul Newman, who died in 2008. In 'The Candidate' and 'All the President's Men', Redford got political, showcasing his versatility as an actor.
'Some people have analysis. I have Utah,' he once remarked, reflecting his love for the state where he spent much of his life. Redford died at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah. His legacy will continue to live on in the film industry and the Sundance Institute he founded.
