Robert Redford Dies: Legendary ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ Actor Was 89

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.

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, 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.

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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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