Robert Redford, the Oscar-winning actor, director, and activist, has died at the age of 89.
His passing was confirmed in a statement to the New York Times by Cindi Berger, chief executive of Rogers & Cowan PMK. She said Redford died peacefully in his sleep at his Utah home. The cause of death was not disclosed.
Redford’s loss marks the end of an era. He was not just a Hollywood icon but a cultural force who shaped American film and politics for more than six decades. His performances in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, and Out of Africa defined him as one of the greats. His directorial masterpiece Ordinary People earned him an Academy Award in 1981. He also founded the Sundance Institute, creating a platform for independent filmmakers that changed cinema forever.
But Redford’s influence extended far beyond the screen. He was outspoken about democracy, justice, and the environment. And when it came to Donald Trump, he did not hold back.
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In 2015, before Trump’s rise to the presidency, Redford gave a candid answer on Larry King Now. Asked about Trump, he quipped: “Look, he’s got such a big foot in his mouth, I’m not sure you’re going to get it out. But on the other hand, I’m glad he’s in there.”
He explained: “I’m glad he’s in there because him being the way he is, and saying what he says the way he says it, I think shakes things up and I think that’s very needed. Because on the other side, it’s so bland, it’s so boring, it’s so empty.”
Trump noticed. He tweeted in response: “Wow! Such nice words from Robert Redford on my running for President. Thank you, Robert.” But Redford’s spokesperson clarified the comments reflected his view of Trump as a disruptive figure, not as a leader he supported.
By 2019, Redford’s tone had shifted. In a Washington Post op-ed, he expressed alarm at what he saw unfolding in the country under Trump.
“It is painfully clear we have a president who degrades everything he touches,” Redford wrote. He described a sense of “outrage and despair over what is happening right under our noses.” Still, he urged against impeachment at the time, believing voters should be the ones to hold Trump accountable through the ballot box.
He warned that America had faced crises before, from World War II to Watergate, and had pulled through. The question, he said, was whether the country could recover from the brink again.
That same year, in an NBC News op-ed, Redford went further. He accused Trump of launching “a dictator-like attack… on everything this country stands for.” He argued that Trump’s actions undermined truth, law, and the freedoms of press and speech.
Redford admitted he had once hoped to “give the guy a chance.” But, he wrote, Trump “almost instantly began to disappoint and then alarm me.” He said the presidency had left the nation fractured. “Instead of the United States of America, we are now defined as the Divided States of America.”
Robert Redford’s death leaves a void in American culture. He was a towering figure in film and a voice of conscience who spoke up when silence would have been easier. His observations about Trump evolved over time, reflecting his careful attention to the country’s struggles.
Featured image via YouTube screengrab
