Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid star Robert Redford died in his sleep on Tuesday morning at the age of 89. His publicist revealed the news, sharing that he was at his Utah home, “the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved” (via NBC News). Cindi Berger, his publicist, added, “He will be missed greatly. The family requests privacy.”
Redford was a leading man in Hollywood in the ’60s and ’70s. He later became a filmmaker, winning an Oscar for his 1980 film, Ordinary People. His Hollywood ties also extend to the Sundance Institute, which he founded in 1981 and sponsors the Sundance Film Festival.
He was born in Santa Monica, California, on August 18, 1936, to Martha Hart and Charles Robert Redford Sr. He attended Van Nuys High School in 1954 and went to the University of Colorado Boulder. After his college days, he travelled through European countries like France, Spain, and Italy.
Robert Redford’s Hollywood Career: From TV to Leading Man in Movies
Robert Redford first made appearances on Alfred Hitchcock Presents in 1961 and The Twilight Zone in 1962. He later appeared in a few Broadway plays, which paved the way for him to enter Hollywood.
His first leading man role came in the 1967 romantic drama Barefoot in the Park. However, his major breakthrough was playing Sundance Kid opposite Paul Newman’s Butch Cassidy in the classic film, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
He received an Academy Award nomination for his 1973 film, The Sting. He also starred in The Candidate, All the President’s Men, and The Electric Horseman. He made his directorial debut with the film Ordinary People, which went on to win four Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director.
He also directed other films like A River Runs Through It, The Horse Whisperer, and The Company You Keep. He was active in Hollywood for decades, spanning from 1959 to 2019. New age fans knew him from his villain role in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
Former President Barack Obama praised the actor after awarding him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016. Obama shared that people “admire Bob not just for his remarkable acting, but for having figured out what to do next” (via The White House Press).
Redford initially decided to go into retirement after his movie The Old Man & the Gun, but he made an exception for Marvel. He announced his retirement after appearing in a cameo role in Avengers: Endgame. After Endgame, Redford also gave his voice to the 2020 film Omniboat, directed by his grandson, Dylan Redford.
Robert Redford Is Survived By His Wife and Two Children
Robert Redford’s first marriage to Lola Van Wagenen took place in Las Vegas on August 9, 1958. The couple went on to have four children: Scott Anthony Redford, Shauna Jean Redford, David James Redford, and Amy Hart Redford. Sadly, Scott passed away when he was just a couple of months old due to sudden infant death syndrome.
Shauna went on to become a painter, while David James became a writer and producer. Amy is an actress, director, and producer. James passed away in 2020 after suffering from cancer. Redford had seven grandchildren through his three children. In 1982, it was revealed that Redford and Van Wagenen had been living separately for years.
Redford went on to meet Sibylle Szaggars, who moved in with him in 1996 in his Sundance, Utah, home. He married Szaggars on July 11, 2009, at the Louis C. Jacob Hotel in Germany. He published his biography, Robert Redford: The Biography, written by Michael Feeney Callan, in May 2011.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family. Let us know your thoughts on the legend’s passing in the comments below.
