Robert Redford at 89 years old on Tuesday.
President Donald Trump has paid his respects to Redford, saying that “there was nobody better” than the late Hollywood legend.
The iconic actor and director died at the age of 89 on Tuesday morning at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah, and Trump has said Redford’s passing was “a good way to go.”
Speaking to Reuters, Trump, 79, said, “Well, it’s a good way to go, I guess. Robert Redford was great. He had a series of years where there was nobody better.”
Trump was asked what his favorite film of Redford’s was. Trump said, “You have a lot of them. He made seven or eight great films. There was a period when he was the hottest.”
Redford was one of the biggest stars and most acclaimed actors in Hollywood, having starred in hits such as “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “All The President’s Men,” and “The Sting.”
Along with his movies, Redford also left his lasting impact on the movie industry after he helped establish Utah’s annual Sundance Film Festival, which released a statement for its founder, “We are deeply saddened by the loss of our founder and friend Robert Redford. Bob’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. Beyond his enormous contributions to culture at large, we will miss his generosity, clarity of purpose, curiosity, rebellious spirit, and his love for the creative process. We are humbled to be among the stewards of his remarkable legacy, which will continue to guide the Institute in perpetuity.”
Hollywood has mourned Redford’s passing, with “A Beautiful Mind” director Ron Howard dubbing the late Oscar-winning actor an “artistic gamechanger”.
On X, he wrote, “RIP and thank you Robert Redford, a tremendously influential cultural figure for the creative choices made as an actor/producer/director and for launching the Sundance Film Festival, which supercharged America’s Independent Film movement. Artistic Gamechanger.”
Meanwhile, Meryl Streep, who starred opposite Redford in 1985’s “Out Of Africa” and “Lions For Lambs” in 2007, said in a statement, “One of the lions has passed. Rest in peace, my lovely friend.”
Author Stephen King has also reflected on the impact Redford had on the movie industry.
He wrote, “Robert Redford has passed away. He was part of a new and excited Hollywood in the 70s and 80s. Hard to believe he was 89.”
Star Trek icon William Shatner said, “Condolences to the family of Robert Redford.”
Marlee Matlin, the star of the Academy Award-winning 2021 picture “CODA,” shared a touching tribute to Redford and said the movie had won its three honors thanks to its appearance at the Sundance Film Festival.
She penned: “Our film, CODA, came to the attention of everyone because of Sundance. And Sundance happened because of Robert Redford. A genius has passed. RIP Robert Redford.”
In a statement to , frequent collaborator Jane Fonda admits it’s ‘been a hard morning.’
“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.”
Fonda and Redford have known each other for decades, since their first collaboration in 1960s “Tall Story.” They continued to work together in 1966’s “Barefoot in the Park,” and most recently with 2017’s “Our Souls at Night.”
RIP Robert.