Robert Redford in the 1976 film "All The President's Men". (Warner Bros/Kobal)
Actor Robert Redford died at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah Tuesday at 89. The Hollywood legacy is not only known for his lengthy acting career but also as an award wining director, founder of a film festival and liberal activist.
Redford broke into Hollywood with his role as the Sundance Kid in "Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid." His character would later be the inspiration to create the Sundance Film Festival in Utah. The festival would go on to become the largest film festival for independent films. He also played several notable characters in the " The Sting," "All The Presidents Men" and "The Way We Were." Redford won a Best Actor Academy Award for his role in the 1973 film "The Sting" and Best Director award for the 1980 film "Ordinary People."
In addition to his storied acting career, Redford was passionate in his support of several causes. They included, environmentalism, Native American rights, LGBT rights, and the arts. His passion for environmentalism led Redford to serve as a trustee of the Natural Resources Defense Council. He endorsed Democratic President Barack Obama for re-election in 2012. He would later receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016 presented by former President Obama.
Find out what's happening in Across Americafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
See photos of the memorable roles the beloved actor played over the years and other notable moments from his career.
Robert Redford and Robert Shaw in "The Sting.” The 1973 film gave the actor his first Academy Award win. (Universal/Kobal/Shutterstock) Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman in the 1976 Watergate scandal film "All The President's Men." (Warner Bros/Kobal/Shutterstock)One of Redford's breakout roles includes his performance in " utch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" with Paul Newman. (20th Century Fox/Campanile Productions/Newman-Foreman Company/Kobal/Shutterstock)Robert Redford and Jane Fonda in "The Electric Horseman." Redford went on to collaborate with Fonda in several films throughout his career. (Columbia/Universal/Kobal/Shutterstock)Actor and director Robert Redford hold his best direction Oscar for "Ordinary People" at the 53rd annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California, on March 31, 1981. The movie marks his directorial debut. (AP Photo)Redford starred in a bit role for the 1977 film " A Bridge Too Far” directed by Richard Attenborough. (United Artists/Kobal/Shutterstock)Director Sydney Pollack, left, appears with actors Robert Redford, center, and Barbra Streisand during the filming of “The Way We Were" in New York on Nov. 28, 1972. (AP Photo/Marty Lederhandler, File)Robert Redford starred as game hunter Denys Finch Hatton alongside Meryl Streep in Sydney Pollack's " Out Of Africa.". (Moviestore/Shutterstock)Redford played a talented baseball player in "The Natural" alongside Richard Farnsworth and Wilford Brimley. (Tri-Star/Kobal/Shutterstock)Demi Moore starred alongside Redford in the 1993 drama “Indecent Proposal.“ (David James/Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock)Robert Redford in the 2001 drama "The Last Castle." ( Elliott Marks/Dreamworks/Robert Lawrence Prod/Kobal/Shutterstock)Barbra Streisand presents Robert Redford with an honorary Oscar during the 74th annual Academy Awards on March 24, 2002, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)President Barack Obama presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to actor Robert Redford during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House on Nov. 22, 2016, in Washington. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)Actors Robert Redford and Jane Fonda hug as they pose for photographers at the photo call of the film "Our Souls at Night" during the 74th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Sept. 1, 2017. (Photo by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP, File)An unidentified admirer ogles as Actor Robert Redford appears at a news conference in New York on March 10, 1977, to help publicize the danger of cancer caused by chemicals in the environment. Speaking for the Environmental Defense Fund, of which Redford is a board member, the actor said it will take years and years to straighten out environmental problems that he attributed to lack of governmental leadership. (AP Photo/Marty Lederhandler)Actor and environmentalist Robert Redford makes a point during a press conference on March 27, 2008 ,in Houston. Redford is in Houston to present a screening of "Fighting Goliath: Texas Coal Wars," a documentary telling the story of an unlikely band of Texas mayors, ranchers, residents, and environmentalists who fought the construction of 18 coal plants in the state. Redford narrated and produced the film. (AP Photo/Pat Sullivan)
Find out what's happening in Across Americafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
