Robert Redford, the leading man with the golden-boy looks who won an Oscar for directing “Ordinary People” and later became a godfather for independent film as founder of the Sundance Film Institute, has died. He was 89.
Cindi Berger, the chief executive of the publicity firm Rogers & Cowan PMK, shared the news in statement to the New York Times. She said Redford had died in his sleep but did not provide a specific cause.
The actor-turned-director — who had a stellar run in such films as “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “The Way We Were,” “The Sting,” “Three Days of the Condor” and “All the President’s Men” — had worked less frequently both in front of and behind the camera in recent years.
Robert Redford’s final screen role was in Avengers: Endgame (2019), reprising his Marvel character, Secretary Alexander Pierce. In later years he starred in A Walk in the Woods (2015) and The Old Man & the Gun (2018), while also producing television projects such as AMC’s Dark Winds.
At his peak in the 1970s, Redford combined matinee-idol looks with a knack for socially resonant stories, carving a place alongside icons like Gary Cooper and Steve McQueen. Though never a chameleonic actor, his charisma and instinctive style made him one of the era’s defining stars.
After early work in television and on Broadway (Barefoot in the Park), he broke through in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) opposite Paul Newman. Hits followed: Jeremiah Johnson, The Sting (Oscar winner for best picture), The Way We Were, The Great Gatsby, Three Days of the Condor, and All the President’s Men, which he also produced. In the 1980s and ’90s, he transitioned to mature roles in The Natural, Out of Africa, and Indecent Proposal.
Redford directed Ordinary People (1980), winning the Academy Award, and went on to helm films like A River Runs Through It, Quiz Show, and All Is Lost. His political dramas, including Lions for Lambs and The Conspirator, reflected his activist bent.
Beyond Hollywood, he founded the Sundance Institute in 1981, fostering the U.S. independent film movement. His environmental advocacy further underscored his belief in art and activism as forces for change.
Born in Santa Monica in 1936, Redford’s early years were marked by artistic ambition, a rebellious streak, and formative encounters with politics. He leaves behind his wife, Sibylle Szaggars, two children, and several grandchildren.
