Robert Redford, the sun-kissed leading man who became one of the most important forces in American film — as an actor, director, activist, and champion of independent voices — has died at 89.

Redford’s publicist confirmed he died Tuesday “at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah — the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved.” No cause of death was disclosed.

Born Charles Robert Redford Jr. on Aug. 18, 1937, in Santa Monica, California, he seemed destined for the screen: tall, athletic, and impossibly handsome. His wavy blond hair and boyish grin made him Hollywood’s golden boy of the 1960s and ’70s, but Redford worked fiercely to transcend his looks. His career became a balancing act — leading man and risk-taker, box office star and political provocateur, Hollywood insider and indie godfather.

The Actor

After early turns on Broadway (Barefoot in the Park with Jane Fonda) and television (The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents), Redford leapt into stardom with a string of hits that cemented him as one of the era’s defining stars.

His roles spanned journalists, outlaws, lovers, and loners: Bob Woodward in All the President’s Men (1976), a mountain man in Jeremiah Johnson (1972), a lovestruck politician in The Candidate (1972), and the charming con man opposite Paul Newman in The Sting (1973), which won the Oscar for Best Picture.

But it was 1969’s Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid that etched Redford into cinematic history. As the wily outlaw Sundance Kid, his chemistry with Newman defined one of Hollywood’s most iconic partnerships. Their offscreen friendship — full of activism, mischief, and mutual admiration — became as legendary as their films.

Redford’s acting career stretched into later decades, including the sweeping romance Out of Africa (1985), the baseball elegy The Natural (1984), and a riveting solo turn in All is Lost (2013), where he played a sailor battling the ocean with no dialogue. His final starring role, 2018’s The Old Man and the Gun, was billed as his farewell to acting, though he never stopped inspiring generations of performers.

The Director

In 1980, Redford shocked the industry by stepping behind the camera with Ordinary People. The intimate family drama, starring Donald Sutherland and Mary Tyler Moore, won four Academy Awards, including Best Director for Redford. It proved that the matinee idol was also a meticulous, sensitive storyteller.

He would go on to direct and produce acclaimed films including Quiz Show (1994) and The Horse Whisperer (1998), further solidifying his place as one of the rare stars who conquered both sides of the camera.

The Visionary

Perhaps Redford’s greatest legacy lies beyond his own performances. Troubled by Hollywood’s corporate grip on storytelling, he founded the Sundance Institute in 1981, creating a haven for new voices in film. Its Sundance Film Festival, based in Park City, Utah, grew into the premier showcase for independent cinema, launching the careers of Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Paul Thomas Anderson, and countless others.

“For me, the word to be underscored is independence,” Redford told the AP in 2018. “I’ve always believed in that word. That’s what led me to want to create a category that supported independent artists who weren’t given a chance to be heard.”

Sundance became both a brand and a movement, synonymous with risk-taking, diversity, and authenticity. While critics argued it eventually grew too commercial, Redford remained insistent that the festival’s mission never changed. By 2025, its influence was so vast that organizers announced it would relocate to Boulder, Colorado, beginning in 2027 — a move Redford himself endorsed.

The Man

Offscreen, Redford was as complex as his characters. A liberal activist, he spoke out on environmental issues, Native American rights, and government corruption. He was a lifelong advocate for conservation, often using his fame to draw attention to causes close to his heart.

He was married twice and had four children. Two preceded him in death: Scott Anthony, who died in infancy, and James Redford, a filmmaker and activist who passed in 2020.

In later years, Redford looked back on his career with gratitude. “I just figure that I’ve had a long career that I’m very pleased with,” he said in 2018. “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.”

The Legacy

For a generation, Robert Redford was the face of Hollywood glamour. For another, he was the director who gave dignity to ordinary pain. And for countless young filmmakers, he was the man who opened doors that had been locked shut.

As an actor, he gave us unforgettable characters. As a director, he gave us intimate truths. And as the founder of Sundance, he gave us a future for film itself.

Robert Redford is gone, but his vision — of beauty, independence, and possibility — will endure as long as stories are told.