The American film legend passed away at the age of 89

Los Angeles/Provo (USA) September 16 - American actor and Oscar-winning film director Robert Redford died today at the age of 89, The New York Times (NYT) reported. Redford became famous for films such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, where he starred alongside Paul Newman, or All the President's Men about the Watergate scandal, where he and Dustin Hoffman played reporters from The Washington Post. Redford won an Oscar in the early 1980s for his directorial debut Ordinary People. He died in his sleep at home in the US state of Utah, announced Cindi Berger, director of the publicist firm Rogers & Cowan PMK.

"Robert Redford died on September 16, 2025, at his home in Sundance in the mountains of Utah - a place he loved, surrounded by those he loved," Berger said.

Redford is often called a legend of American cinema. He often appeared in leading roles in Hollywood, starring alongside Jane Fonda in the comedy Barefoot (1967), Barbra Streisand in the romantic drama That's How We Were (1973) and Meryl Streep in Out of Africa (1985).

"One of the greats has died. Rest in peace, my dear friend," Streep said of Redford in a statement sent to AFP today.

Prominent presenter Rosie O'Donnell and writer Stephen King also paid tribute to Redford on social media. "Robert Redford has died. He was part of the new and exciting Hollywood of the 1970s and 1980s. It's hard to believe he was 89 years old," King wrote on social media X.

Before flying to Britain to visit the late actor and director, US President Donald Trump said, according to AFP, that there were a series of years when no one was better than Redford. "I thought he was great," Trump said.

He went from being a screen idol to a major director when Redford moved behind the camera after two decades of acting. Thanks to his star popularity, he was able to bring serious topics such as grief and political corruption to the general public. His film hits often helped America understand itself, writes NYT. Redford's debut Ordinary People, about the breakup of a family after the death of a son, won three other gold statues, including the award for best picture, in addition to the Oscar for directing.

Redford also played a significant role as a patron of independent film by founding the Sundance Film Festival in Utah, named after one of his most famous roles. The festival was created to support filmmakers dissatisfied with Hollywood's commercialization and lack of diversity.

"Our film, Heartbeat, was brought to the public's attention because of Sundance. And Sundance was made possible by Robert Redford. A genius has died. Rest in peace, Robert," Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin told the X network. Heartbeat won the 2022 Academy Award for Best Picture.

Sundance has helped establish leading independent directors such as Jim Jarmusch, Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Darren Aronofsky and Ava DuVernay. The festival has also become one of the most important platforms for documentaries on progressive issues such as reproductive rights, climate change and the LGBT+ community.

In addition to being an actor and director, Redford was also a dedicated environmental activist who fought to preserve the landscape and natural resources of Utah, where he lived.

WT.24