Robert Redford death latest: Meryl Streep, Barbra Streisand and others mourn Hollywood icon

Ethan Hawke has paid his respects to Redford.

In a statement per Variety, the Dead Poets Society actor labeled the Hollywood legend “our ultimate champion of independent film, relentless advocate for authentic storytelling and fiercely passionate environmentalist.”

“Robert’s legacy remains ingrained in our culture, transformed by his artistry, activism and the founding of Sundance Institute and Film Festival,” Hawke said.

The legendary movie star, producer, filmmaker and activist, who has died at the age of 89, used his fame wisely and spent his career demonstrating his versatility on screen. But while his loss is great, writes Charlotte O’Sullivan, his fingerprints are all over the industry today:

Redford, who died Tuesday at age 89, was hardly the only liberal activist to emerge out of Hollywood, but few matched his knowledge and focus, his humility and dedication. Fellow actors and leaders of the causes he fought for spoke of his unusually deep legacy, his fight for Native Americans and the environment that began at the height of his stardom.

The Sundance Institute mourned the loss of its founder, Robert Redford, in a statement that highlighted his contribution to cinema.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our founder and friend Robert Redford. Bob’s vision of a space and a platform for independent voices launched a movement that, over four decades later, has inspired generations of artists and redefined cinema in the US and around the world,” the non-profit shared on Tuesday.

“Beyond his enormous contributions to culture at large, we will miss his generosity, clarity of purpose, curiosity, rebellious spirit and his love for the creative process. We are humbled to be among the stewards of his remarkable legacy, which will continue to guide the Institute in perpetuity.”

The multiple Oscar-winning Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was a groundbreaking revisionist western, with Paul Newman and the late Robert Redford giving a timeless portrayal of a pair of law-breaking adventurers in one of Hollywood’s greatest examples of the “buddy film”.

Although William Goldman was convinced his film script about two American outlaws who fled a posse of Pinkerton detectives and escaped to Bolivia had the potential to be a blockbuster hit, the initial response was disheartening. “Every studio but one rejected it,” Goldman recalled in The Reluctant Storyteller. “One studio head said, ‘Well, I’ll buy it if they don’t go to South America.’ I said, ‘But they went there!’ He said, ‘I don’t give a s***. All I know is John Wayne don’t run away.’”

Marisa Tomei shared a heartfelt tribute to Robert Redford, calling him “the Sundance Kid, waving one last time.”

Tomei recalled a moment from early in Ms. Magazine’s history, when Redford’s PR office shared a building with the publication. “He volunteered his gorgeous back for their Oct ’75 cover, knowing the attention would help,” she wrote.

“Always lending his weight to something bigger than himself,” Tomei added. “A legend in every sense.

Robert Redford and Paul Newman enjoyed a “bromance” long before the word had even been coined. Here’s a look back at their storied friendship – and the sports cars they crushed into a cube along the way:

Bob Woodward paid tribute to Robert Redford on Instagram, looking back on their long connection.

Redford famously portrayed Woodward in the 1976 film All the President’s Men, and the two remained close over the years.

“He will be remembered as one of the greatest storytellers in our country’s history,” Woodward wrote. “He elevated stories beyond mainstream. He not only cared about the environment, but he took all conceivable actions to protect it.”

Redford died Tuesday at 89, leaving behind an arsenal of great roles that he owned, whether he was playing a quiet CIA agent, a con man, a baseball player, a grizzled mariner, an ambitious journalist, or a charming WASP in love. His very last role came this year, a cameo in Dark Winds, the AMC show about Navajo police officers he produced.

This is a list of some of Redford’s most memorable performances, but don’t forget about the films he directed, too: among them are the all-timers Ordinary People ( streaming on MGM+ ), which won him the best director Oscar, and Quiz Show (rent on AppleTV+ ), which got him another nod.