Robert Redford passes away: Oscar-winning actor-director and champion of independent film dies at 89, says report

Actor, director, and Sundance Institute founder Robert Redford died on Tuesday at the age of 89, The New York Times reported, citing his publicist.

His death, in the mountains outside Provo, was announced by Cindi Berger, chief executive of the publicity firm Rogers & Cowan PMK, who said Redford died in his sleep at his home in Provo, Utah. No cause was specified.

Redford's career spanned more than five decades. He reshaped both Hollywood and the independent film movement.


He rose to fame with films such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), The Sting (1973), Three Days of the Condor (1975) and All the President’s Men (1976). He later won an Academy Award for directing Ordinary People (1980). His other notable directorial works included A River Runs Through It (1992) and Quiz Show (1994).

Beyond the screen, Redford left an enduring cultural mark by founding the Sundance Institute in 1981 and transforming the Sundance Film Festival into the world’s leading showcase for independent cinema. The festival helped launch the careers of directors like Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, and Ryan Coogler.

An outspoken advocate for environmental causes, Redford fought against highway expansion and power plants in Utah and served for three decades as a trustee of the Natural Resources Defense Council. He became one of the earliest models for the actor-turned-environmentalist role later embraced by stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio.

Redford is survived by his wife, Sibylle Szaggars, daughters Shauna Schlosser Redford and Amy Redford, and seven grandchildren.

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