Hollywood Legend Robert Redford Passes Away at 89

Robert Redford, Hollywood legend and the founder of the Sundance Film Festival has passed away at the age of 89. Known largely for his roles in front of the camera in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Way We Were, The Natural and All The President’s Men, Redford died early Tuesday morning in his home, according to his publicist, Cindi Berger.

Redford, an actor, producer, and director, was a four-time Academy Award nominee and recipient of an honorary Oscar.

Disney fans and readers of our website might know Redford for his roles in 2016’s Pete’s Dragon, the Touchstone Pictures film Up Close & Personal, and Miramax’s An Unfinished Life.

Redford was also the director and star of Touchstone’s neo-western drama based on the novel of the same name, The Horse Whisperer.

He also produced and directed the Hollywood Pictures film chronicling the game show scandals of the 50s, Quiz Show, which hit the big screen back in 1994. Two of his Academy Award nominations stemmed from this film, one for Best Director, and the other for Best Picture.

More recently, Disney fans likely saw Redford in his role as Alexander Pierce in Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers: Endgame. He was also the voice behind a special IMAX film back in 2004, narrating Disney’s Sacred Planet.

Redford was also reportedly in consideration for the role of Eddie Valiant in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, a role that would inevitably go to Bob Hoskins.

His legacy will also include the creation of the Sundance film festival, which has launched the careers of other huge Hollywood stars, including Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Damien Chazelle and many more. Redford bought the land in Utah in 1969, developing it into the Sundance Mountain Resort, which is focused on nature, art, and sustainability, remaining a destination for skiing, hiking, and arts retreats to this day.

In 1981, Redford founded the Sundance Institute here, supporting independent filmmakers and storytellers with labs, grants, and year-round support to emerging artists. Now one of the premiere film festivals, Sundance Film Festival was launched in the mid-80s and is still held annually in Park City, Utah.

While not Disney, his final on-screen appearance came earlier this year in an uncredited cameo on the AMC series, Dark Winds, where he also serves as an Executive Producer.

Redford is survived by his daughters, Shauna and Amy, and his second wife, Sibylle Szaggars, whom he married in 2009.