Hollywood actor Robert Redford, whose name was associated with some of the most celebrated classics in mainstream and independent American cinema, breathed his last on Tuesday morning. He was 89.
According to a statement by his publicist, Cindi Berger, the actor and producer 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.”
Prior to making his breakthrough in movies, Redford got noticed by producers for his striking screen presence. Before establishing himself as one of the champions of the independent cinema movement in Hollywood through the Sundance Film Festival, launched in 1978, and subsequently, the Sundance Institute, Redford quickly attained A-list status after garnering accolades for his strong presence in 70s Hollywood cinema.
He made waves in industry circles with consecutive hits such as 'All the President's Men', 'The Sting', 'Three Days of the Condor', 'Jeremiah Johnson', and 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'. Along with Paul Newman, the actor enjoyed a "golden boy" status in American cinema, working with some of the best directors in the business, like Alan J. Pakula, Sydney Pollack, and George Roy Hill.
Redford delivered some of his biggest successes with Hill, through collaborations in the 1969 Western 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid', the 1973 heist drama 'The Sting', and the 1975 aviation drama 'The Great Waldo Pepper'.
Pollack and Redford collaborated in notable films such as 'Jeremiah Johnson' (1972), 'The Way We Were' (1973), 'The Electric Horseman' (1979), and ‘Out of Africa’ (1985).
His role as Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward, who investigated the Watergate scandal, won equal praise as that of Dustin Hoffman, who played his colleague Carl Bernstein in Pakula's 'All the President's Men'.
Among his well-received recent films are 'The Lunchbox' director Ritesh Batra's 'Our Souls at Night', which reunited him with his 'Barefoot in the Park' co-star Jane Fonda.
Redford proved himself to be equally adept behind the camera, too. His directorial debut, 'Ordinary People', in 1980, won the Academy Award for Best Picture, with Redford named Best Director.
His last acting role was in David Lowery's 2018 film 'The Old Man and The Gun'.
