Robert Redford, Oscar-winning actor, director and indie patriarch, dies at 89

By BOB THOMAS Associated Press Robert Redford the Hollywood golden boy who became an Oscar-winning director liberal activist and godfather for independent cinema under the name of one of his best-loved characters died Tuesday at Redford died at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah the place he loved surrounded by those he loved publicist Cindi Berger announced in a announcement No cause of death was provided FILE 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 AP Photo Marty Lederhandler File FILE President Barack Obama presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to actor Robert Redford during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House Tuesday Nov in Washington AP Photo Andrew Harnik File FILE Robert Redford attends the premiere of Netflix s Our Souls at Night on Sept in New York Photo by Andy Kropa Invision AP File 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 th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice Italy on Sept Photo by Joel Ryan Invision AP File FILE Robert Redford attends the premiere of The Old Man and the Gun at the Paris Theater on Thursday Sept in New York Photo by Charles Sykes Invision AP File FILE Sundance Institute founder Robert Redford looks on during the opening day press conference at the Sundance Film Festival on Jan in Park City Utah Photo by Chris Pizzello Invision AP File Show Caption of FILE 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 AP Photo Marty Lederhandler File Expand After rising to stardom in the s Redford was one of the biggest stars of the s with such films as The Candidate All the President s Men and The Way We Were capping that decade with the best director Oscar for s Ordinary People which also won best picture in His wavy blond hair and boyish grin made him the the majority desired of leading men but he worked hard to transcend his looks whether through his political advocacy his willingness to take on unglamorous roles or his dedication to providing a platform for low-budget movies His roles ranged from Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward to a mountain man in Jeremiah Johnson to a double agent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and his co-stars included Jane Fonda Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise But his most of famous screen partner was his old friend and fellow activist and practical joker Paul Newman their films a variation of their warm teasing relationship off screen Redford played the wily outlaw opposite Newman in s Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid a box-office smash from which Redford s Sundance Institute and festival got its name He also teamed with Newman on s best picture Oscar winner The Sting which earned Redford a best-actor nomination as a young con artist in s Chicago Film roles after the s became more sporadic as Redford concentrated on directing and producing and his new role as patriarch of the independent-film movement in the s and s through his Sundance Institute But he starred in s best picture champion Out of Africa and in received specific of the best reviews of his career as a shipwrecked sailor in All is Lost in which he was the film s only performer In he was praised again in what he called his farewell movie The Old Man and the Gun I just figure that I ve had a long career that I m very pleased with It s been so long ever since I was he described The Associated Press shortly before the film came out I figure now as I m getting into my s it s maybe time to move toward retirement and spend more time with my wife and family Sundance is born Redford had watched Hollywood grow more cautious and controlling during the s and sought to recapture the creative spirit of the early part of the decade Sundance was created to nurture new talent away from the pressures of Hollywood the institute providing a training ground and the festival based in Park City Utah where Redford had purchased land with the initial hope of opening a ski resort Instead Park City became a place of discovery for such previously unknown filmmakers as Quentin Tarantino Steven Soderbergh Paul Thomas Anderson and Darren Aronofsky Related Articles In contemporary times in History September massacre in Sabra and Shatila refugee camps Trump says the US military again targeted a boat allegedly carrying drugs from Venezuela DNA evidence determined near scene of Charlie Kirk s shooting matches suspect FBI director says In the current era in History September Lehman Brothers files for bankruptcy Emmy Awards Full list of top winners For me the word to be underscored is independence Redford described the AP in I ve perpetually deduced in that word That s what led to me eventually wanting to create a category that supported independent artists who weren t given a chance to be heard The industry was pretty well controlled by the mainstream which I was a part of But I saw other stories out there that weren t having a chance to be advised and I thought Well maybe I can commit my energies to giving those people a chance As I look back on it I feel very good about that Sundance was even criticized as buyers swarmed in looking for expected hits and celebrities overran the town each winter We have never ever changed our policies for how we operation our festival It s invariably been built on diversity Redford narrated the AP in The fact is that the diversity has become commercial Because independent films have achieved their own success Hollywood being just a business is going to grab them So when Hollywood grabs your films they go Oh it s gone Hollywood By the festival had become so prominent that organizers decided they had outgrown Park City and approved relocating to Boulder Colorado starting in Redford who had attended the University of Colorado in Boulder issued a declaration saying that change is inevitable we must unfailingly evolve and grow which has been at the core of our survival Redford was married twice majority of of late to Sibylle Szaggars He had four children two of whom have died Scott Anthony who died in infancy in and James Redford an activist and filmmaker who died in Redford s early life Robert Redford was born Charles Robert Redford Jr on Aug in Santa Monica a California boy whose blond good looks eased his way over an apprenticeship in television and live theater that eventually led to the big screen Redford attended college on a baseball scholarship and would later star as a middle-aged slugger in s The Natural the adaptation of Bernard Malamud s baseball novel He had an early interest in drawing and painting then went on to scrutiny at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts debuting on Broadway in the late s and moving into television on such shows as The Twilight Zone Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Untouchables After scoring a Broadway lead in Sunday in New York Redford was cast by director Mike Nichols in a production of Neil Simon s Barefoot in the Park later starring with Fonda in the film version Redford did miss out on one of Nichols greatest successes The Graduate disclosed in Nichols had considered casting Redford in the part eventually played by Dustin Hoffman but Redford seemed unable to relate to the socially awkward young man who ends up having an affair with one of his parents friends I commented You can t play it You can never play a loser Nichols reported during a screening of the film in New York And Redford commented What do you mean Of subject I can play a loser And I reported OK have you ever struck out with a girl and he commented What do you mean And he wasn t joking Bob Thomas a longtime Associated Press journalist who died in was the principal writer of this obituary