Robert Redford, the Oscar-winning director and screen icon who helped reshape American cinema and launched the Sundance Film Festival, has died aged 89. His publicist, Cindi Berger, said he passed away in his sleep.
Robert Redford rose to prominence in the late 1960s and became one of Hollywood’s most recognisable leading men. He broke out opposite Paul Newman in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and went on to headline classics including The Sting and All the President’s Men, earning both popular and critical acclaim across decades of work.
Redford turned to directing with great success. He won the Academy Award for Best Director for Ordinary People (1980), a film that also won Best Picture, and later received nominations for films such as Quiz Show. His move behind the camera cemented his reputation as a creative force both in front of and behind the lens.
Perhaps as enduring as his screen work is Redford’s role in nurturing independent film. He transformed a small Utah festival into the Sundance Film Festival and the Sundance Institute — institutions credited with launching the careers of many contemporary filmmakers and reshaping the indie landscape.
Redford largely stepped back from acting after The Old Man & the Gun (2018), which he described as a farewell, though he occasionally returned for cameos and selective projects. In 2023 he made an uncredited appearance related to the Watergate story he once helped dramatize. Even in retirement, his presence and influence were felt across film and activism.
Beyond cinema, Redford was known for environmental advocacy and for supporting younger artists through foundations and initiatives that carried his name and values. Colleagues and public figures around the world paid tribute on news outlets and social media after the announcement of his passing.
Family and final wishes: Redford’s publicist asked for privacy for the family; no cause of death was given beyond reports that he died peacefully in his sleep.
