Robert Redford Dies at 89: Tributes Pour in for Legendary ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ Actor

Legendary actor Robert Redford has died at the age of 89. He was known for his roles in films ranging from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid to The Sting.

The actor died just outside the mountains of Provo, Utah, per a statement from Cindi Berger, who is the chief executive of publicity at Rogers & Cowan PMK. Redford reportedly died in his sleep, but the cause of death remains unspecified.

As mentioned above, Redford was best known for his performances on the big screen, but his contribution to the industry has loomed large, especially with the creation of the Sundance Film Festival. The festival’s namesake was based on Redford’s character, Sundance Kid, from the aforementioned film, in which he appeared alongside Paul Newman.

Born in Santa Monica, California in 1936, Redford first tried his hand at visual media, with sketching and painting, before he discovered his love of acting. He made his debut on Broadway in 1959 with a production of Tall Story, and he went on to earn acclaim for his role on stage in 1963’s Barefoot in the Park, during which time he was appearing in episodes of shows like Maverick and Perry Mason.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, ©20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved

Among his other noteworthy film work was the 1976 classic All the President’s Men, in which he portrayed Bob Woodward, one of the reporters responsible for breaking the Watergate scandal story, in which he starred alongside Dustin Hoffman. He featured alongside Marlon Brando in 1965’s The Chase, and reprised his role for Barefoot in the Park‘s 1967 movie adaptation, costarring Jane Fonda.

Other prominent films include the aforementioned movie The Sting, The Candidate, The Great Gatsby, Jeremiah Johnson, Out of Africa, Ordinary People, and The Way We Were. He also starred in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Horse Whisperer, Spy Games, Lions for Lambs, Pete’s Dragon, Avengers: Endgame, All Is Lost, An Unfinished Life, and much more.

In 1978, Redford launched the Sundance Film Festival with his business partner, Sterling Van Wagenen, putting an emphasis on independent filmmaking. He made his own directorial efforts over the years, helming A River Runs Through It, Quiz Show, and Lions for Lambs.

In 2017, Redford reteamed with Fonda for Our Souls at Night, nd he went on to make his final major film appearance in 2018’s The Old Man and the Gun, in which he starred opposite Sissy Spacek.

Most recently, Redford appeared in AMC’s critically acclaimed drama, Dark Winds, making a Season 3 cameo alongside fellow executive producer George R.R. Martin. Redford had the rights to author Tony Hillerman’s Leaphorn & Chee book series, upon which the show is based, and even adapted four of the novels himself before the show was created.

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Redford’s cameo is his last onscreen appearance before his death, as the Season 3 installment aired earlier this year. The scene featured Redford and Martin playing a game of chess as Navajo policeman, Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) watched on. The dialogue even included a little joke from Redford to Martin about how the whole world his waiting on him, seemingly referencing the Game of Thrones writer’s long-awaited books.

When TV Insider spoke to Dark Winds showrunner John Wirth about Redford’s appearance, he shared, “Those words came out of Mr. Redford’s mouth, and he is the author of those words. So I guess I just threw him under the bus, which I didn’t mean to do… I found it very amusing, and I think George did, too.”

On the personal side of his life, Redford married Lola Van Waganen in 1958, and the pair had four children together, including Scott, Shauna, David, and Amy. Scott died of infant death syndrome at just a few months old. While Redford and Van Waganen never announced their separation or divorce, it was reported in 1982 that they hadn’t been together in years. In 2009, Redford married his longtime girlfriend Sibylle Szaggars in Germany; they’d been together long-term since 1996.

Redford was also a political activist, as he supported environmentalism, Native American rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and the arts.

Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

Tributes have poured in from some of Hollywood’s most famous faces. “Oh hubbell – we will never be the same – goodnight bob – what a legacy ❤️🌹🥲,” Rosie O’Donnell wrote alongside an Instagram pic of Redford and Barbra Streisand. Stephen King wrote via X, “Robert Redford has passed away. He was part of a new and exciting Hollywood in the 70s and 80s. Hard to believe he was 89.”

Thanking Redford for his contributions to the industry, Marlee Matlin wrote in an X post, “Our film, CODA, came to the attention of everyone because of Sundance. And Sundance happened because of Robert Redford. A genius has passed. RIP Robert.”

Meryl Streep also reacted to Redford’s death in a statement shared by Deadline. “One of the lions has passed. Rest in peace, my lovely friend,” the actress said.

Ron Howard called Redford “a tremendously influential cultural figure for the creative choices made as an actor/producer/director & for launching the Sundance Film Festival, which supercharged America’s Independent Film movement” in an X statement. “Artistic Gamechanger.”

The Lowdown creator Sterlin Harjo also shared a sweet tribute to Redford, as he recounted an exchange they shared years ago on Instagram. “Oklahoma, I wanted to tell you — Bob Redford was one of the most generous men I’ve ever met,” Harjo wrote. Harjo’s collaborator on FX’s upcoming series, Ethan Hawke, wrote in an Instagram post that Redford was the “ultimate champion of independent film, relentless advocate for authentic storytelling, and fiercely passionate environmentalist.”

Additionally, Fonda shared a statement with IndieWire, “It hit me hard this morning when I read that Bob was gone. I can’t stop crying. He meant a lot to me and was a beautiful person in every way. He stood for an America we have to keep fighting for.”

Redford’s The Way We Were costar, Streisand, wrote on Instagram, “Bob was charismatic, intelligent, intense, always interesting — and one of the finest actors ever. The last time I saw him, when he came to lunch, we discussed art and decided to send each other our first drawings. He was one of a kind, and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with him.”

“He was THE movie star, and will be greatly missed,” DC co-head and Peacemaker showrunner James Gunn wrote on X. Meanwhile, Ben Stiller captioned a photo of Redford, “No actor more iconic.“