Euronews Culture shares some of the biggest and most moving tributes to Robert Redford, a towering figure whose six-decade career will be remembered as one of the greatest in cinema.
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Legendary Oscar-winning actor Robert Redford, best known for his roles in Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, The Sting, Three Days Of The Condor, All The President’s Men, Spy Game, All Is Lost and countless other classics, died in his sleep at his home in Utah, aged 89.
Redford, a performer who stood out for his charisma and talent, was also the Sundance Film Festival founder and a dedicated liberal activist who fought for Native Americans, environmental causes and LGBTQ rights.
Countless tributes have been shared online following Redford’s death, including from Meryl Streep, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jane Fonda, Morgan Freeman and Hillary Clinton.
Here are some of the biggest and most moving tributes to a towering figure whose six-decade career will be remembered as one of the greatest in cinema.
Jane Fonda, who worked with Redford on five movies – Tall Story, The Chase, Barefoot in the Park, The Electric Horseman and Our Souls at Night - released a statement saying she “can’t stop crying” after having heard the news of his death.
“It hit me hard this morning when I read that Bob was gone. I can’t stop crying. He meant a lot to me and was a beautiful person in every way. He stood for an America we have to keep fighting for.”
“One of the lions has passed. Rest in peace my lovely friend,” Meryl Streep said in a brief statement shared with AFP via her publicist. The two co-led the romance drama Out of Africa in 1985 before reuniting in Lions For Lambs in 2007.
Martin Scorsese released a statement, which read: "Bob was a unique artist, in front of and behind the camera. He was also a dedicated member of The Film Foundation board, and he gave the world of American cinema something irreplaceable and lasting with Sundance. It saddens me to know that I won’t be seeing him again. And I’ll never forget my time with him.”
Director Ron Howard called Redford a “tremendously influential cultural figure for the creative choices made as an actor/producer/director” in a post online, thanking him for “launching the Sundance Film Festival which supercharged America’s Independent Film movement.”
Several stars thanked Redford for his championing of independent cinema in the US, including Ethan Hawke, who wrote: “Robert Redford, 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.”
Reese Witherspoon added: “What an incredible artist and champion for art, culture and independent film. I will be forever grateful for my days at Sundance & the Sundance filmmakers lab where I learned so much from so many fellow filmmakers. Thank you Robert Redford for sharing your passion for movies with so many of us.”
Director Edgar Wright saluted Redford for his work as an actor, filmmaker and "a tireless champion of independent cinema”, writing in a lengthy post online: “He supported countless fledgling filmmakers and helped launch many remarkable careers. But also… boy, what a movie star he was. Stunningly handsome and a wonderfully naturalistic actor, he moved effortlessly between drama and comedy. He chose his projects with intelligence, using his marquee power to champion groundbreaking scripts and often finding ways to play against his matinee-idol image.”
The Sundance Institute released a statement stating that Redford’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 U.S. and around the world.”
Barbra Streisand has also honoured Redford in a lengthy Instagram post.
“Every day on the set of The Way We Were was exciting, intense and pure joy. We were such opposites: he was from the world of horses; I was allergic to them!” she began. “Yet, we kept trying to find out more about each other, just like the characters in the movie.” She went on to say that Redford was “charismatic, intelligent, intense, always interesting— and one of the finest actors ever,” also recalling the last time she saw him: "The last time I saw him, when he came to lunch, we discussed art and decided to send each other our first drawings. He was one of a kind and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with him."
Elsewhere, Samuel L. Jackson wrote: “It was a dream come true to work on screen with Mr Redford. Sometimes your heroes don’t disappoint & truly are as Great as you imagined.”
Leonardo DiCaprio released the following statement: “Not only was he an incredible actor - we all know his work - but his ability, as a director too, films like “Quiz Show.” He was one of the first guys to do political thrillers - “Three Days of the Condor,” “All the President’s Men” - he paved the way for films like this but more so than anything, he was a staunch environmental leader and was a member of the NRDC, like me, and fought for Indigenous rights - the list goes on and on. We lost a legend today.”
Morgan Freeman paid his tribute online: “There are certain people you know that you’re going to click with. After working with Robert Redford on Brubaker in 1980, we instantly became friends. Working with him again in ‘An Unfinished Life’ was a dream come true. Rest peacefully, my friend.”
Mark Ruffalo also posted on Instagram, sharing a letter he had written to Redford: “This was a letter I had written to Robert Redford when I learned he was ill. I didn’t get it to him before the news today. This is what a real American Hero looks like. A man who brought people together, lived and practiced empathy, and created good and useful organizations that made people's lives better and included anyone who had an interest. Please remember him well.”
Julianne Moore remembered being starstruck by Redford during their first encounter: “He was the first movie star that I ever loved.” She added: “My sister sent me this photo this morning from #sundance,” referring to a photo of her looking at Redford adoringly. “It was very hard for me to behave normally in his presence.”
Marvel directors Anthony and Joe Russo paid tribute to Redford on Instagram, sharing a picture of the three of them alongside Robert Downey Jr. Avengers Engame would end up being Redford’s final big screen role in 2019.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of the incomparable Robert Redford — a true legend whose acting and directing inspired us throughout our careers,” they wrote. “His legacy will live on through his extraordinary films, his incredible performances, his tireless activism, and the profound influence that Sundance has had on the trajectory of the industry, and the lives of thousands of filmmakers. There are very few people who have impacted modern storytelling as significantly as Robert … and we are deeply grateful for our time with him.”
In the world of politics, many also shared tributes.
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox stated that Redford came to Utah decades ago and “fell in love with this place.” He added: “He cherished our landscapes and built a legacy that made Utah a home for storytelling and creativity. Through Sundance and his devotion to conservation, he shared Utah with the world.”
Hillary Clinton also shared a tribute, saying: “I always admired Robert Redford, not only for his legendary career as an actor and director but for what came next. He championed progressive values like protecting the environment and access to the arts while creating opportunities for new generations of activists and filmmakers. A true American icon.”
As for Donald Trump, he also shared his admiration for the actor.
“I’ll tell you, Robert Redford was great,” Trump said before boarding his flight for his state visit to the UK. “He had a series of years where there was nobody better… There was a period of time when he was the hottest. I thought he was great.”
Also of note is the statement released by celebrated journalist Bob Woodward, who Redford portrayed in All The President’s Men.
Woodward paid tribute to Redford in the following stunning statement:
“Robert Redford was genuine, a noble and principled force for good who fought successfully to find and communicate the truth. Over 50 years of friendship, he always said what he was going to do and then did it. He urged Carl Bernstein and myself to tell the Watergate story through the eyes and experiences of our reporting and the relations between the two of us. That resulted in our book “All the President’s Men” and later the movie in 1976. His impact and influence on my life cannot be overstated. I loved him, and admired him — for his friendship, his fiery independence, and the way he used any platform he had to help make the world better, fairer, brighter for others.
“He will be remembered as one of the great storytellers in our country’s history. He elevated stories beyond the mainstream. He not only cared about the environment, but he took all conceivable actions to protect it.
“I interviewed him several times over the last 10 years about the state of this country and recorded them with his permission. Here are some quotes that show the Redford I knew and loved.
“On New Year’s Eve 2021, Redford said he had rewatched All the President’s Men a few days prior. ‘I was just taken aback by how appropriate it was, how timely it was and how little has really changed. We don’t have Nixon anymore, we have Trump.’
“‘You know time waits for no one,’ Redford said. ‘Time moves on and you have to move on with it or get lost behind. And I thought, well, at my age — at the age I’m at, 85, at one time there was a long road ahead of me and now that road is a lot shorter and I don’t have a lot of time to mess around. So you do the best you can with what you’ve got left… We have to do something that changes the scenario, changes the dialogue. Just like we did many years ago with Watergate.’
“‘We live in a country where we can’t call ourselves the United States of America,’ Redford said. ‘We just can’t. We’re the Divided States of America because of the political parties and they’re so robust in their anxieties…’
“In September 2022, I told Redford my reporting showed that Trump was trying to destroy democracy. ‘He doesn’t understand it,’ Redford said. ‘So it’s easy for him to destroy it. It is easy to destroy something you don’t understand. You can claim it doesn’t exist.’
“About himself he said, ‘I think I just have an outlaw sensibility. I’ve always been independent. I’ve always wanted to stay free. Freedom is very important to me. I didn’t want to go anywhere, do anything where my freedom was going to be thwarted. And of course, when you’re that focused on freedom, you’re also focused on independence. So I wanted to be independent.’
“In an earlier 2019 interview with Redford, he said, ‘One last thing before we go on about why I am the way I am. Not wanting to be pinned down, not wanting to be corralled. I was totally free as a child. I was totally free… Those were the earlier years that kind of define why I think there’s some part of me still that way. Not wanting to be pulled into a group situation, wanting to maintain some independence.’
“Godspeed, Robert Redford.”
RIP Robert Redford: 1936 - 2025
