Robert Redford, Oscar-Winning Actor and Independent Film Icon, Dies at 89

Robert Redford, the golden boy of Hollywood who became an Oscar-winning director, liberal activist, and godfather of independent film under the name of one of his most beloved characters, died Tuesday. He was 89.

Redford died "at his home in Sundance, in the mountains of Utah, the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved," publicist Cindi Berger said in a statement. No cause of death was provided.

After rising to fame in the 1960s, Redford became one of the biggest stars of the 1970s with films like "The Candidate," "All the President’s Men," and "The Way We Were." He capped that decade by winning the Oscar for Best Director for 1980's "Ordinary People," which also won the award for Best Picture. His wavy blond hair and youthful smile made him the most sought-after of leading men, but he worked hard to transcend his appearance, whether through his political advocacy, his willingness to take on unglamorous roles, or his dedication to providing a platform for low-budget films.

His roles ranged from Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward to a mountain man in "Jeremiah Johnson" and a double agent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His co-stars included Jane Fonda, Meryl Streep, and Tom Cruise. But his most famous on-screen partner was his old friend and fellow activist and prankster Paul Newman; their films were a variation of their warm, teasing relationship off-screen.

Redford played the cunning outlaw alongside Newman in the 1969 blockbuster "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," from which Redford's Sundance Institute and film festival took its name. He also teamed with Newman in 1973's "The Sting," the Oscar-winning Best Picture that earned Redford a Best Actor nomination for his role as a young con man in 1930s Chicago.