海角大神

Robert Redford,聽who died Tuesday, Sept. 16, was a Hollywood golden boy who became an Oscar-winning director, liberal activist, and godfather for independent cinema under the name of one of his best-loved characters.

After rising to stardom in the 1960s, Redford was one of the biggest stars of the 鈥�70s with such films as 鈥淭he Candidate,鈥� 鈥淎ll the President鈥檚 Men鈥� and 鈥淭he Way We Were,鈥� capping that decade with the best director Oscar for 1980鈥檚 鈥淥rdinary People,鈥� which also won best picture in 1980. His wavy blond hair and boyish grin made him the most desired of leading men, but he worked hard to transcend his looks 鈥� whether through his political advocacy, his willingness to take on unglamorous roles, or his dedication to providing a platform for low-budget movies.

His roles ranged from Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward to a mountain man in 鈥淛eremiah Johnson鈥� to a double agent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and his co-stars included Jane Fonda, Meryl Streep, and Tom Cruise. But his most famous screen partner was his old friend and fellow activist and practical joker Paul Newman, their films a variation of their warm, teasing relationship off screen. Mr. Redford played the wily outlaw opposite Newman in 1969鈥檚 鈥淏utch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,鈥� a box-office smash from which Mr. Redford鈥檚 Sundance Institute and festival got its name. He also teamed with Newman on 1973鈥檚 best picture Oscar winner, 鈥淭he Sting,鈥� which earned Mr. Redford a best-actor nomination as a young con artist in 1930s Chicago.

Film roles after the 鈥�70s became more sporadic as Redford concentrated on directing and producing, and his new role as patriarch of the independent-film movement in the 1980s and 鈥�90s through his Sundance Institute. But he starred in 1985鈥檚 best picture champion 鈥淥ut of Africa鈥� and in 2013 received some of the best reviews of his career as a shipwrecked sailor in 鈥淎ll is Lost,鈥� in which he was the film鈥檚 only performer. In 2018, he was praised again in what he called his farewell movie, 鈥淭he Old Man and the Gun.鈥�

鈥淚 just figure that I鈥檝e had a long career that I鈥檓 very pleased with. It鈥檚 been so long, ever since I was 21,鈥� he told The Associated Press shortly before the film came out. 鈥淚 figure now as I鈥檓 getting into my 80s, it鈥檚 maybe time to move toward retirement and spend more time with my wife and family.鈥�

Sundance is born

Mr. Redford had watched Hollywood grow more cautious and controlling during the 1970s and wanted to recapture the creative spirit of the early part of the decade. Sundance was created to nurture new talent away from the pressures of Hollywood, the institute providing a training ground and the festival, based in Park City, Utah, where Mr. Redford had purchased land with the initial hope of opening a ski resort. Instead, Park City became a place of discovery for such previously unknown filmmakers as Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Darren Aronofsky.

鈥淔or me, the word to be underscored is 鈥榠ndependence,鈥欌�� Mr. Redford told the AP in 2018. 鈥淚鈥檝e always believed in that word. That鈥檚 what led to me eventually wanting to create a category that supported independent artists who weren鈥檛 given a chance to be heard.

鈥淭he industry was pretty well controlled by the mainstream, which I was a part of. But I saw other stories out there that weren鈥檛 having a chance to be told and I thought, 鈥榃ell, maybe I can commit my energies to giving those people a chance.鈥� As I look back on it, I feel very good about that.鈥�

Sundance was even criticized as buyers swarmed in looking for potential hits and celebrities overran the town each winter.

鈥淲e have never, ever changed our policies for how we program our festival. It鈥檚 always been built on diversity,鈥� Mr. Redford told the AP in 2004. 鈥淭he fact is that the diversity has become commercial. Because independent films have achieved their own success, Hollywood, being just a business, is going to grab them. So when Hollywood grabs your films, they go, 鈥極h, it鈥檚 gone Hollywood.鈥欌��

By 2025, the festival had become so prominent that organizers decided they had outgrown Park City and approved relocating to Boulder, Colorado, starting in 2027. Mr. Redford, who had attended the University of Colorado in Boulder, issued a statement saying that 鈥渃hange is inevitable, we must always evolve and grow, which has been at the core of our survival.鈥�

Mr. Redford was married twice, most recently to Sibylle Szaggars. He had four children, two of whom have died 鈥� Scott Anthony, who died in infancy, in 1959; and James Redford, an activist and filmmaker who died in 2020.

Redford鈥檚 early life

Robert Redford was born Charles Robert Redford Jr. on Aug. 18, 1937, in Santa Monica, a California boy whose blond good looks eased his way over an apprenticeship in television and live theater that eventually led to the big screen.

Mr. Redford attended college on a baseball scholarship and would later star as a middle-aged slugger in 1984鈥檚 鈥淭he Natural,鈥� the adaptation of Bernard Malamud鈥檚 baseball novel. He had an early interest in drawing and painting, then went on to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, debuting on Broadway in the late 1950s and moving into television on such shows as 鈥淭he Twilight Zone,鈥� 鈥淎lfred Hitchcock Presents,鈥� and 鈥淭he Untouchables.鈥�

After scoring a Broadway lead in 鈥淪unday in New York,鈥� Mr. Redford was cast by director Mike Nichols in a production of Neil Simon鈥檚 鈥淏arefoot in the Park,鈥� later starring with Ms. Fonda in the film version. Mr. Redford did miss out on one of Nichols鈥� greatest successes, 鈥淭he Graduate,鈥� released in 1967. Nichols had considered casting Mr. Redford in the part eventually played by Dustin Hoffman, but Mr. Redford seemed unable to relate to the socially awkward young man who ends up having an affair with one of his parents鈥� friends.

鈥淚 said, 鈥榊ou can鈥檛 play it. You can never play a loser,鈥欌�� Nichols said during a 2003 screening of the film in New York. 鈥淎nd Redford said, 鈥榃hat do you mean? Of course I can play a loser.鈥� And I said, 鈥極K, have you ever struck out with a girl?鈥� and he said, 鈥榃hat do you mean?鈥� And he wasn鈥檛 joking.鈥�

Mr. Redford died 鈥渁t his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah 鈥� the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved,鈥� publicist Cindi Berger said in a statement. No cause of death was provided.

This story was reported by The Associated Press.