End Of An Institution: Oscar-Winning Actor & Director Robert Redford Dies At 89

Mumbai: Hollywood legend Robert Redford passed away at the age of 89 at his Utah home.

The Oscar-winning actor and director was the founder of Sundance Film Festival.

“Robert died at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah — the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved,” Robert’s publicist Cindi Berger confirmed.

Details about the cause of his death were not shared.

Redford, whose career spanned more than six decades, rose to prominence in the 1960s and 70s with superhit films like ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid’ (1969), ‘The Candidate’ (1972), ‘The Sting’ (1973), ‘The Way we Were’ (1973) and ‘All the President’s Men’ (1976).

He won an Oscar (Academy Award) and a Golden Globe for Best Director for ‘Ordinary People’ in 1981. He then founded the Sundance Institute and its annual film festival, which became a launchpad for generations of independent filmmakers.

Redford’s effortless charm and blond good looks made him a heartthrob of millions. He took risks, backed political projects and used his popularity to create a platform for independent films.

Off screen, Redford was an advocate for environmental protection, who championed conservation causes and highlighted climate issues.

Redford has left behind a legacy of “artistic vision and an unwavering belief in the power of storytelling,” according to film experts.

His contributions to cinema earned him several lifetime achievement honours, including a special Academy Honorary Award in 2002, Golden Globes’ Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1994, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.