Hollywood icon and Sundance creator Robert Redford dies at 89
Oscar-winning actor and director Robert Redford has died at the age of 89 at Sundance in Utah, his representative announced.
Amy Redford has spoken candidly about the impact of her father Robert Redford’s death four months after his death.
In an interview with the Today show, the legendary director and actor’s daughter, 55, expressed gratitude for the way he raised her and her siblings, saying he was “playful, curious and kind.”
Redford died on September 16 at his home in Sundance, Utah, at the age of 89. He is survived by his second wife, Sybil, and two children, Amy, a film director, and her sister, Shona, a painter, who continued his artistic career. His son Jamie Redford passed away in 2020, and another son also died in infancy. He had all four children with his first wife, Laura Van Wagenen.
“I think what he taught us is to find what we’re most passionate about and what we think might change the world,” Amy Redford said on the “Today” show on Jan. 19.
“The best thing he did for my family was to raise us between New York City and the mountains of Sundance, because we were able to live between the city and the laws of nature, and he taught us very strong values of stewardship,” she continued. “So I think that’s something we all bring to the table to this day.”
Redford found a home at Sundance in the early 1980s, establishing an institute of the same name at Sundance to foster the work of independent directors, theater artists, and composers. From this organization was born the popular Sundance Film Festival. This event is held annually in Park City, Utah, and gave filmmakers Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Kevin Smith, Darren Aronofsky, Paul Thomas Anderson, and many others their first big breaks in the film industry.
This year’s festival opens on January 22nd.
Contributor: Brian Truitt, USA TODAY
