The bright lights of Hollywood are a little dimmer after the passing of golden cowboy Robert Redford. The man who made a Stetson look like high fashion has died at the age of 89 at his home in Utah. A multifaceted artist, the founder of the Sundance Institute left his mark not only on the film industry but in activism circles as well. If you’re feeling all the feelings in the wake of the loss of this giant… well, you’re not alone. Some of us have already watched The Way We Were while crying under a blanket.
Robert Redford was born into a middle-class family in Santa Monica, California in 1936. A rebel from the get-go, he struggled academically but found his place in sports and the arts. He was eventually awarded a scholarship to the University of Colorado (which he flunked out of), traveled through Europe, and then made the pivot to acting. For many people, flunking out of college might seem like the end of a journey, but for Redford it was just the beginning.
Redford was a looker from the start, and that face helped him land his early acting gigs on TV before his big breakthrough with Barefoot in the Park in 1967. Two short years later, in 1969, he shot into mega-stardom with his role in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Clearly he was more than his gorgeous cheekbones, because The Sting, The Way We Were (my personal favorite of his catalogue), and All the President’s Men were all blockbuster hits, due in no small part to Redford’s performance in each.
Redford didn’t stop at acting and made the move into directing with Ordinary People in 1980. He sure didn’t suck at it, because he won the damn Oscar for Best Director. He later directed Quiz Show and A River Runs Through It, both met with great acclaim from audiences. Plenty of actors try to make the transition to directing but don’t quite stick the landing. Redford not only stuck the landing, he set an example for others to follow.
In 1981, Robert Redford founded the Sundance Institute, followed by the Sundance Film Festival, creating a launchpad for independent cinema all over the world. Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, and Jason Reitman are among the names that got their start at Sundance. Every indie darling who began with nothing more than a camera and a dream that grew into a household name owes Robert Redford a nod of acknowledgement for giving them a place to start.
Redford wasn’t just a world-class actor and director. He was one of the early voices in the fight to protect the environment, calling for more attention and energy to be given to conservation efforts. He was fearless when it came to speaking out about political issues that mattered to him, especially when the topics centered on democracy, the media, and climate change.
Robert Redford was an actor whose work defined a pivotal era in film and television. As a director, he proved that the substance of what was being created mattered. As a founder, he gave outsiders a stage they wouldn’t have had otherwise. As an activist, he used his fame to pursue something larger than himself and to make the world a better place. Redford has left the world with a legacy filled with more than just good hair and Oscar statues—he’s left behind a roadmap for what it means to truly make a difference, both on and off the screen.
