Robert Redford, Hollywood’s former golden boy and star of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, has died aged 89.
The actor and Oscar-winning director’s dying was confirmed in a press release by Cindi Berger, chief government of the publicity agency Rogers & Cowan PMK. She stated that Redford died in his sleep at residence in Utah, “surrounded by these he beloved”. A selected reason for dying was not disclosed.
Redford was a display idol, and on the top of his fame within the Sixties and Seventies had a world fame each as a revered actor and a intercourse image, along with his sandy blonde hair, megawatt smile and romantic roles reverse stars from Jane Fonda to Barbara Streisand.
Born in Santa Monica, California, in 1936, he moved to New York within the Fifties with hopes of being a painter, however discovered himself drawn to appearing as an alternative. In 1967, he acquired his large display breakthrough with a job taking part in a newlywed reverse Fonda within the romcom Barefoot within the Park.
Across a six-decade profession, Redford made greater than 50 films. He stated his two favourites had been his collaborations with Paul Newman: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) and The Sting (1973).
Redford was 32 when he starred within the former, taking part in the Sundance Kid, in what would grow to be probably the most well-known function of his profession. The good buddy film informed the story of Wild West outlaws Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman), and his accomplice the Sundance Kid (Robert Redford), who’re on the run from the authorities after a collection of practice robberies.
The Sting, through which Redford performed a conman, got here 4 years later. Surprisingly, it earned him his solely ever Oscar nomination. While the movie received seven Academy Awards, Redford misplaced out to Save the Tiger star Jack Lemmon.
Other appearing highlights over the course of his profession embody taking part in a skier in Downhill Racer (1969), a younger Democrat hopeful in The Candidate (1972), and as an investigative journalist in Watergate drama All the President’s Men (1976).
In 1980, he made his directorial movie debut with Ordinary People, which received the Academy Award for Best Picture – Redford obtained the Best Director prize.
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He continued directing movies comparable to A River Runs Through It (1992), Quiz Show (1994), The Legend of Bagger Vance (1998), Lions for Lambs (2007), The Conspirator (2010), and The Company You Keep (2012). Redford directed many enormous stars, from Meryl Streep and Scarlett Johansson to Will Smith, Matt Damon and Charlize Theron.
In 2002 he obtained the Academy Honorary Award as an “actor, director, producer, creator of Sundance, inspiration to unbiased and revolutionary filmmakers in all places”.
With his Hollywood earnings, Redford purchased land in a ski space in Utah referred to as Timp Haven. He renamed the place Sundance, after his movie character, and went on to create the Sundance Film Festival, celebrating unbiased movies.
He additionally based the Sundance Institute, Sundance Cinemas, Sundance Catalog, and the Sundance Channel.
In 2018, Redford introduced he would retire from appearing following the discharge of his remaining movie The Old Man and The Gun.
The then-81-year-old informed Entertainment Weekly: “Never say by no means however I fairly properly concluded that this might be it for me when it comes to appearing. I’ll transfer in the direction of retirement after this ‘trigger I’ve been doing it since I used to be 21. I assumed, properly, that’s sufficient. And why not exit with one thing that’s very upbeat and optimistic?”
The Old Man and The Gun noticed Redford star alongside Casey Affleck, Danny Glover, Tom Waits and Sissy Spacek because the real-life Forrest Tucker, a profession prison and infamous jail escape artist.
Speaking to The Independent in 2016 about being seen as a intercourse image, particularly within the Sixties and Seventies, he stated: “How might you not prefer it? I favored it loads. I wasn’t anticipating it and it simply occurred round a few movies. At first I used to be very flattered, I assumed: ‘Gee, this actually feels good.’ Then I acquired nervous about what it could do to my life if I actually went into it.”
He defined that he determined to hunt solace in solitude: “That’s why I purchased the land in Utah. It was a retreat the place I’d go away so I might have time with nature and lift my household and never ever get tied into that. But it hasn’t been simple.”
Redford was an activist all through most of his profession, predominantly preventing for environmental causes.
He used his standing to lift consciousness about clear vitality, and was on the board of the Natural Resources Defense Council for many years.
He additionally lent his identify and funding to a wildlife protect in Utah.
Speaking with Rolling Stone about his activism in 2021, Redford stated: “I used to be attending a convention in Denver, in 1989, the place there was a presentation by two scientists who defined Earth’s temperatures had been rising — they referred to as it international warming. They defined what would occur if we ignored this menace.
“That second was my wake-up name. I knew they had been talking the reality. Because one factor we’ve discovered is that point waits for nobody. I realised that when there’s one thing you need to do, you higher act, and act shortly.”
Redford married his first spouse, Lola Van Wagenen, in 1958. The couple had 4 kids collectively: Scott, Shauna, David and Amy. Scott died of sudden dying syndrome when he was simply 10 weeks outdated.
It is assumed that they divorced in 1985. In the Nineties, Redford met Sibylle Szaggars, and he or she moved in with him at his residence in Sundance. They acquired married in 2009.
He is survived by Szaggars, his three kids and 7 grandchildren.
