Hollywood icon Robert Redford has passed away at the age of 89. His publicist said he passed peacefully in his sleep at his home in Utah. Redford was more than just a movie star. He had a quiet charm, a calm confidence, and a way of drawing audiences in without ever trying too hard. He was a storyteller at heart, whether in front of the camera, behind it, or through the Sundance Film Festival, which he co-founded to give new filmmakers a chance to be heard.

 Born Charles Robert Redford in Los Angeles in 1936, he discovered his love for acting after leaving the University of Colorado and training at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He started small, taking TV and stage roles, but his talent soon shone through on Broadway in Barefoot in the Park. Early film roles like Inside Daisy Clover showed his potential, but it was Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in 1969, opposite Paul Newman, that made the world take notice and launched him into superstardom.

The 1970s were Robert Redford’s defining decade. He starred in films that have since become classics including Jeremiah Johnson, The Way We Were, The Sting, The Great Gatsby, Three Days of the Condor, and All the Presidents Men. He could be charming, intense, funny, or quietly heroic, and he did it all with a natural ease that made every role feel real. In 1980, he moved behind the camera with Ordinary People, winning Best Director as the film also took home Best Picture, proving his talent extended far beyond acting.