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Robert Redford, the Oscar-winning actor, director and producer who helped shape American cinema for more than half a century and founded the Sundance Film Festival, died Tuesday at his home in Utah. He was 89.
Redford died in his sleep, publicist Cindi Berger of Rogers & Cowan PMK said in a statement cited by The New York Times. No cause of death was given.
With his tousled blond hair and freckled charm, Redford became one of the defining movie stars of the 1970s, seamlessly moving between Hollywood’s new wave and the mainstream industry. His breakthrough came in 1969 opposite Paul Newman in the countercultural Western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
He went on to star in The Sting, The Way We Were, All the President’s Men and dozens of other classics before turning to directing. His debut behind the camera, Ordinary People (1980), won four Academy Awards, including best picture and best director.
Redford’s greatest legacy may be as co-founder of the Sundance Film Festival, which became the premier showcase for independent film in the United States. The festival helped launch films such as Reservoir Dogs, The Blair Witch Project, Donnie Darko, Fruitvale Station and CODA.
A committed liberal, Redford was a trustee of the Natural Resources Defense Council and an outspoken critic of the Keystone XL pipeline. He also fought to preserve Utah’s landscapes, where he made his home for decades.
Charles Robert Redford Jr. was born Aug. 18, 1936, in Santa Monica, California, the son of an accountant. He studied art before turning to acting, appearing on Broadway and in television before his film breakthrough.
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