How do you sum up a life that reshaped Hollywood?
Robert Redford — the Sundance Kid himself — has died at 89, at his beloved mountain home in Utah.
His publicist called it “the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved.”
From Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid to The Sting, Redford wasn’t just an actor — he was an icon.
He went on to win a Best Director Oscar for Ordinary People in 1980.
Later he founded the Sundance Film Festival, which gave independent filmmakers a global stage.
“One of the lions has passed,” said Meryl Streep, his Out of Africa co-star. Jane Fonda added, “He stood for an America we have to keep fighting for.”
Tributes Pour In For Robert Redford
Tributes also poured in from Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ron Howard and Hillary Clinton.
They praised Redford’s environmental activism and his mentorship of new artists.
He retired from acting in 2018, saying he was “tired of acting” after decades of shaping cinema on both sides of the camera.
Beyond the screen, Redford’s personal life was marked by both family joy and loss — yet he remained a private, steady presence.
As Fonda put it, “He was a beautiful person in every way.”
In the end, perhaps Redford’s greatest legacy isn’t fame — it’s the stage he built for others.
