Hollywood acting legend Robert Redford has passed away, aged 89. His death was announced in a statement by his publicist, Cindi Berger.
“Robert Redford passed away on September 16 at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah – the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved,” the statement read. “He will be missed greatly. The family requests privacy.”
Tributes are pouring in for the icon, who is not only renowned for his work on films including The Sting, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Out of Africa, but for his long-time activist work, which fuelled him in a way he often said acting did not.
A defining star of his generation, the Oscar winner’s career would endure from the Golden Age of Hollywood until today.
Born in 1936, Robert, who had a love of the creative arts, enrolled at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He made his Broadway debut soon after.
Television followed. He played roles in hit shows of the 1960s, including Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Twilight Zone, and Route 66. However, Robert found his earliest career success on stage.
After nabbing the lead role in the 1963 Broadway hit Barefoot in the Park, Robert set his sights on Hollywood. He found himself appearing in a string of forgettable films. However, his breakthrough role was right around the corner.
Portraying the outlaw The Sundance Kid alongside Paul Newman in the 1969 western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid launched Robert’s star into the stratosphere. The movie became the highest-grossing film of the year. It made Robert one of Hollywood’s most bankable stars, as well as one of its most ruggedly handsome.
Robert followed the film’s success with equally well-received outings. Among those, The Sting (1973), The Way We Were (1973), and 1976’s All The President’s Men, a critical and commercial standout. He later starred opposite Meryl Streep as a big-game hunter in 1985’s Out of Africa.
And, he even graced the cover of The Australian Women’s Weekly on 22 December 1976.
Proving his versatility, Robert stepped behind the camera to make his directorial debut in 1980 with Ordinary People. The film, a powerful drama about a family dealing with grief, won the 1981 Best Picture Academy Award, as well as Best Director for Robert.
That same year, Robert established the Sundance Institute to mentor and develop young filmmakers, with the organisation’s yearly film festival continuing to highlight independent films and new talent.
In addition, threw his support over the years to a range of causes, including campaigning for the environment and supporting LGBTQ rights.
Married to his second wife, Sibylle Szaggars, since 2009 (his previous marriage to Lola Van Wagenen lasted 27 years and resulted in four children), Robert announced his retirement from acting in 2018 before returning a year later to appear in Avengers: Endgame (2019).
This year, he returned to the screen in the TV series Dark Winds, of which he also served as an executive producer.
Along with his wife Sibyelle, Robert’s survivors include two daughters, Shauna Redford Schlosser and Amy Redford, and seven grandchildren.
