Tributes have been pouring in for late actor Robert Redford
The Hollywood icon rose to fame in the 1960s and 1970s with unforgettable performances in classics such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President’s Men.
Known not only for his striking good looks but also for his activism, Redford went on to direct acclaimed films including Ordinary People—which earned him an Oscar—and A River Runs Through It.
He also founded the Sundance Film Festival in 1978, an event held annually in Utah that grew into one of the world’s most important showcases for independent filmmaking.
Cindi Berger, Redford’s publicist, confirmed he passed away at his home “in the mountains of Utah—the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved. He will be missed greatly. The family requests privacy.”
The Sundance Film Festival was perhaps what Redford valued most in his later years. It gave countless young storytellers their first opportunity to be heard.
“I saw other stories out there that weren’t having a chance to be told and I thought, ‘Well, maybe I can commit my energies to giving those people a chance,’” Redford reflected in 2018. “As I look back on it, I feel very good about that.”
His final screen role came that same year in The Old Man & the Gun, which marked the close of a remarkable career. Speaking to the Associated Press ahead of its release, Redford said: “I just figure that I’ve had a long career that I’m very pleased with. It’s been so long, ever since I was 21. I figure now as I’m getting into my 80s, it’s maybe time to move toward retirement and spend more time with my wife and family.”
In 2016, former U.S. President Barack Obama awarded Redford the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The citation praised how “his art and activism continue to shape our nation’s cultural heritage, inspiring millions to laugh, cry, think, and change.”
Tributes have poured in across social media. One fan wrote on X: “Robert Redford was my favorite, it’s hard to process that he is gone. His performances made more movies I love than anyone else. I’d take The Sting over any film for flawless perfection. We don’t expect famous people to also be good people but he was. He belongs to the ages.”
Another added: “RIP Robert Redford. Terrific actor, brilliant director. Truly legendary.”
Redford is survived by his wife, Sibylle Szaggars, and his two daughters, Shauna Jean Redford and Amy Hart Redford, from his previous marriage to Lola Van Wagenen.
Source: unilad.com