Robert Redford, Oscar-winning actor and director, dies aged 89

"Robert Redford, star of Hollywood classics including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting and All the President's Men, has died aged 89. In a statement to the New York Times, his publicist said the actor died in his sleep at his home in Utah. Redford was one of the defining movie stars of the 1970s, crossing with ease between the Hollywood new wave and the mainstream film industry, before also becoming an Oscar-winning director and producer in the ensuing decades."

"He played a key role in the establishment of American independent cinema by co-founding the Sundance film festival, which acted as a platform for films such as Reservoir Dogs, The Blair Witch Project, Donnie Darko, Fruitvale Station and Coda. Redford also acquired a reputation as one of Hollywood's leading liberals and campaigned on environmental issues including acting as a trustee of the Natural Resources Defense Council advocacy group and vocally opposing the now-cancelled Keystone XL pipeline."

Robert Redford died in his sleep at age 89 at his home in Utah. He became a defining movie star of the 1970s, moving between Hollywood new wave and mainstream cinema. He later won an Academy Award as a director and producer. He co-founded the Sundance Film Festival, helping establish American independent cinema and launching films such as Reservoir Dogs, The Blair Witch Project, Donnie Darko, Fruitvale Station and Coda. He campaigned on environmental issues, served as a trustee of the Natural Resources Defense Council and opposed the Keystone XL pipeline. Born Charles Robert Redford in 1936, he studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and earned early recognition on television and Broadway.

Read at www.theguardian.com