Robert Redford, screen legend and Sundance Film Festival founder, dies aged 89
New York Times have reported that the actor died in his sleep early this morning
- Robert Redford has died aged 89, according to reports including the New York Times.
- The cinematic icon was known for his acting roles and his work behind the camera, including his Oscar-winning direction for ‘Ordinary People.’
- The actor also founded the Sundance Film Festival in 1978, platforming directors including Quentin Tarantino.
Cinematic icon Robert Redford, known for his roles in ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ and his Oscar-winning direction with ‘Ordinary People,’ has died aged 89, according to reports.
The news was broken earlier today by the New York Times, which stated that the actor and founder of the Sundance Film Festival died in his sleep at his home in Utah earlier this morning (September 16).
Redford began his acting journey in the late 1950s on stage and television. His big break came with the Broadway play ‘Barefoot in the Park’ in 1963, which he later reprised for the hit 1967 film adaptation alongside Jane Fonda. It was through this role that he established himself as a leading man and a new Hollywood heartthrob.
Redford's golden era as a screen actor was the 1970s, a period during which he delivered some of his most celebrated performances. His superstar status was cemented in 1969 with ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,’ where his on-screen chemistry with Paul Newman created one of cinema's most beloved duos.
Their reunion in the 1973 caper, ‘The Sting,’ earned Redford his only acting Oscar nomination and contributed to the film winning Best Picture. Redford also proved his commitment to socially conscious filmmaking, starring as journalist Bob Woodward in ‘All the President's Men’ (1976), a film that brought the true story of the Watergate scandal to a global audience.
His talent wasn't limited to acting, however; in 1980, he made a successful directorial debut with "Ordinary People," which won him the Academy Award for Best Director and confirmed his creative power behind the camera.
Beyond his work as an actor and director, Robert Redford's most enduring legacy is the Sundance Film Festival. In 1981, he founded the Sundance Institute to support and nurture independent storytellers. This initiative led to the creation of the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.
Under his guidance, Sundance grew from a small regional event into the premier showcase for independent cinema in the United States, launching the careers of countless filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino and Steven Soderbergh.
Redford is survived by his wife, Sibylle Szaggars Redford, whom he married in 2009 and his two daughters, Shauna Redford and Amy Redford.
What is your favourite Robert Redford film, either as an actor or as a director? Let the writer of this article know by sending them an email, and let us know what from their body of work is essential for repeat viewing.