Robert Redford, a Hollywood icon and Sundance Film Festival founder, has passed away at the age of 89.
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The star’s publicist, Cindi Berger, confirmed the news about his passing, stating that he died at his home “in the mountains of Utah” surrounded by his loved ones.
“He will be missed greatly,” Berger stated. “The family requests privacy.”
Details about his death, including the cause, have not been revealed at this time.
Born on Aug. 18, 1936, Robert Redford began acting professionally in the late 1950s. His television career started in 1960 when he appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Twilight Zone.
He landed his first leading role in 1967’s Barefoot in the Park, and he became well-known for his role in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in 1969.
Along with acting, Redford went into filmmaking. His directorial film debut was in 1980 with Ordinary People, which won four Academy Awards.
In 1981, the actor/director co-founded the Sundance Resort and Film Institute, which was later renamed the Sundance Film Festival.
Robert Redford remained active in his career until his passing on Sept. 16. His most recent role was in the TV series Dark Winds, which he was also a producer for.
He is survived by his second wife, Sibylle Szaggars, his two daughters, and his grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his sons Scott and David.
Billy Bob Thornton Previously Opened up About the Life-Changing Career Advice He Received From Robert Redford
In a 2024 interview with Fox News, Billy Bob Thornton recalled the life-changing career advice he once received from Robert Redford.
Thornton said Redford gave the advice while the duo were working on the 1993 film Indecent Proposal, which also starred Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson.
“Redford was very good to me, and I only had a couple of scenes in that movie,” Tornton explained. “But I was there for six weeks because it took a long time to get this thing shot.
“That’s when Demi and I first met each other,” he pointed out. “And [Redford] brought me, I think — I can’t remember — it was like a Newsweek or Time magazine, one of those. And there was an article in there about a movie I’d co-written with Tom Epperson and costarred in called One False Move. This was a glowing review of One False Move.”
Thorton then recalled, “He said, ‘Look, have you seen this?’ I said, ‘No. He said, ’Read that.’ And I sat there next to him, and he said, ‘Keep doing that.’ He said, ‘They’re going to come at you with offers now.’ And he said, ‘Don’t go off and play a superhero or something and make money.’”
Thorton said that Redford advised that he stick to the “world of independent film” for a while and make a name for himself. Then he can transition into bigger film productions later.
“But he said, ‘This is where you need to be in the beginning because you could go out and do one stinker, a big event movie, and you’re done,’” Thornton added. “So that’s what he told me. And he was right.”