Robert Redford, Hollywood Legend, Dies at 89

Robert Redford, one of Hollywood’s most iconic actors and directors, passed away Tuesday morning at the age of 89 in his Utah home, according to his publicist. He reportedly died in his sleep, leaving behind a legacy as both a towering figure in American cinema and a predictable voice of left-wing politics in the entertainment world.

Redford first rose to stardom in the 1960s and 70s with classic roles in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” (1969) and “The Sting” (1973) alongside Paul Newman. With a rugged charm and old-school charisma, he became the face of a golden era of American film and later used that fame to build an empire around independent cinema.

In 1981, he founded the Sundance Institute, which led to the Sundance Film Festival now a cultural institution and leftist Hollywood echo chamber that has long pushed progressive narratives and identity politics under the guise of “independent storytelling.”

Redford's notable filmography includes:

• The Way We Were (1973)

• The Great Gatsby (1974)

• All the President’s Men (1976)

• The Natural (1984)

• Indecent Proposal (1993)

• The Horse Whisperer (1998)

• All Is Lost (2013)

As a director, he struck gold with “Ordinary People” (1980), which earned him an Academy Award for Best Director. He later directed “A River Runs Through It” (1992) and “Quiz Show” (1994) films that often married human drama with moral messaging.

Though he kept his personal life largely out of the spotlight, Redford suffered several private tragedies. He was married twice and had four children. His son James died in 2020 after a battle with cancer, and another son, Scott, tragically died in infancy from SIDS.

Yet for all of Redford’s artistic contributions, his political activism became louder and more divisive in recent decades. He used his platform to repeatedly criticize conservative values, most notably in a 2019 op-ed where he referred to President Trump’s leadership as a “dictator-like attack” on American democracy, and suggested that the White House was “a monarchy in disguise.”

Redford’s legacy, like many in Hollywood, is a complicated one marked by undeniable cinematic brilliance and a deeply partisan worldview. He was a champion of environmental causes and LGBT activism, and he remained steadfast in his liberal beliefs, even as the country shifted and became more ideologically fractured.

While his contributions to film are permanent, his politics served as a reminder of Hollywood’s increasing detachment from the average American.

Robert Redford leaves behind a long resume, a family shaped by both loss and love, and a Hollywood culture that he helped build for better or worse.

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