Utah. Robert Redford, the Hollywood icon whose career spanned more than six decades as an actor, director, activist, and champion of independent cinema, died Tuesday at his home in Sundance, Utah. He was 89. His publicist, Cindi Berger, said he passed away peacefully in his sleep, surrounded by family, though no cause of death was provided.

Rising to stardom in the 1960s, Redford became one of the defining screen idols of the 1970s, starring in hits such as The Way We Were, The Candidate, and All the President’s Men. He shared the screen with Jane Fonda, Meryl Streep, and Tom Cruise, but his most enduring partnership was with Paul Newman in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Sting. In 1980, he won the Academy Award for best director with his debut film Ordinary People, which also took home best picture. Determined not to be defined only by his golden-boy looks, Redford pursued politically charged roles, took on directing, and threw his influence behind causes from environmental protection to artistic freedom.

Redford’s impact extended far beyond Hollywood blockbusters. In 1981, he founded the Sundance Institute and later the Sundance Film Festival, turning Park City, Utah, into the global epicenter of independent filmmaking. The festival launched the careers of Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, and Paul Thomas Anderson, among many others. While critics sometimes lamented its commercialization, Redford remained firm that Sundance was rooted in diversity and artistic independence. The festival is set to move to Boulder, Colorado, in 2027, a transition Redford supported as part of its ongoing evolution.

Even as his acting career slowed, Redford delivered memorable performances, including Out of Africa (1985), All is Lost (2013), and what he called his farewell role in The Old Man and the Gun (2018). His environmental advocacy was equally enduring, shaped by his concern over Los Angeles’ urban sprawl and channeled into decades of activism for clean air, clean water, and land conservation.

Tributes poured in from across Hollywood and beyond. Jane Fonda remembered him as “a beautiful person in every way,” while Leonardo DiCaprio hailed him as both a cinematic pioneer and a staunch environmentalist. Directors Ron Howard and Martin Scorsese praised his transformative influence on American cinema, while Hillary Clinton called him “a true American icon.”

Redford is survived by his wife, Sibylle Szaggars, and two of his four children. His legacy --as a matinee idol, indie film champion, and environmental crusader-- leaves an indelible mark on film and culture.

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