Robert Redford, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid star, dies aged 89
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Robert Redford, the renowned actor turned Oscar-winning director, has passed away at the age of 89.
It's reported that he died peacefully in his sleep at his Utah home early Tuesday morning.
The actor, director, producer, and environmentalist is most recognised for his roles in iconic films such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, All the President's Men, and Out of Africa.
He won an Oscar for directing Ordinary People in 1980 and was honoured with a lifetime achievement Oscar in 2002.
Redford's passing was confirmed in a statement from his publicist, Cindi Berger. She revealed that he died in his sleep but did not disclose a cause of death at this time.
In 2018, Redford announced his retirement from acting, after starring in The Old Man and the Gun before making a cameo appearance in the TV show Dark Winds, where he served as an executive producer.
His acting career began on stage and television in the late 1950s. He studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and made his Broadway debut in the play Tall Story in 1959, reports the Irish Mirror.
He also featured in several TV shows, including Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Twilight Zone, and Route 66. His breakthrough role came with Neil Simon's Broadway hit Barefoot in the Park in 1963, which led to his film debut in War Hunt and rapid success as a leading man in Hollywood.
Redford ventured into directing in his 40s, and subsequently won an Academy Award for Ordinary People. This film also earned Redford three other Oscars, including best picture.
He also directed The Milagro Beanfield War (1988), A River Runs Through It (1992) and Quiz Show (1994). Quiz Show, a film centred around a notorious 1950s TV scandal, was nominated for four Oscars.
In 1981, Redford established the Sundance Institute, a nonprofit organisation committed to fostering new cinematic talents. He took over a struggling film festival in Utah and rebranded it after his institute.
The Sundance Film Festival has since gained global recognition. Directors such as Quentin Tarantino, James Wan, Darren Aronofsky, Nicole Holofcener, David O. Russell, Ryan Coogler, Robert Rodriguez, Chloé Zhao and Ava DuVernay all received support from Sundance.
However, over time, Redford grew frustrated with the festival's increasing commercialisation. This year, it attracted over 85,000 attendees, a significant increase from just a few hundred in the 1980s.