Hollywood Icon Robert Redford Dies at 89

Robert Redford, the charismatic actor whose blue-eyed gaze and understated charisma defined American cinema for generations, died Tuesday at his home in the mountains outside Provo, Utah. He was 89.

The news was confirmed by his family and reported by multiple outlets, including The New York Times and CNN. Redford passed away peacefully at his beloved Sundance ranch, surrounded by loved ones, according to a statement shared with the press.

Born Charles Robert Redford Jr. on August 18, 1936, in Santa Monica, California, Redford rose from a promising athlete and art student to become one of Hollywood's most enduring leading men. His breakthrough came in the 1960s with roles in films like Barefoot in the Park (1967) opposite Jane Fonda, but it was his portrayal of the Sundance Kid in the 1969 Western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, co-starring Paul Newman, that cemented his stardom and inspired the name of his later film festival venture.

Redford's career highlights include the con-artist duo with Newman in The Sting (1973), earning him his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor; the Watergate whistleblower in All the President's Men (1976); and the romantic lead in Out of Africa (1985). Behind the camera, he won the Academy Award for Best Director for Ordinary People (1980), a poignant family drama starring Mary Tyler Moore and Timothy Hutton.

In 1981, Redford founded the Sundance Institute, which launched the Sundance Film Festival in 1985. The event became a cornerstone for independent cinema, spotlighting filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, the Duplass brothers, and countless others who might otherwise have struggled for visibility. "Sundance was his passion project, a place where he could nurture the kind of storytelling Hollywood often overlooked," noted The Hollywood Reporter in its obituary.

An environmental activist and philanthropist, Redford used his platform to advocate for conservation, co-founding the institute's programs to support artists while protecting the Utah wilderness he called home. His final film role was a voice cameo in Marvel's Avengers: Endgame (2019), reprising his Captain America: The Winter Soldier character.

Redford is survived by his four children: Shauna, James (who predeceased him in 2020), Amy, and Dylan. Tributes poured in from across the industry, with director Steven Spielberg calling him "the golden boy who turned silver screen magic into real-world legacy."

Funeral arrangements remain private, but Sundance has announced a special tribute screening series in his honor next month. Redford's death marks the end of an era for a man who bridged Hollywood's golden age with its indie renaissance.