Robert Redford died Tuesday at his Utah home in his sleep at age 89, his family confirmed. RadarOnline reported that the Oscar-winning actor's funeral will be simple and family-only, organized by his wife, Sibylle, along with his daughters and grandchildren, with no red carpet, no cameras and no Hollywood spectacle.
RadarOnline described the service as a private gathering in the Utah mountains for Sibylle Redford, Shauna Redford and Amy Redford, and seven grandchildren, in line with the star's low-profile public image. The site said the family would seek privacy during the farewell and would not seek media attention.
Industry colleagues and friends immediately paid tribute to Redford, with Paul Newman’s family among the first to respond. Nell Newman, Newman’s daughter, described the relationship between her father and Redford as 'a movie friendship that blossomed into a more serious friendship' and recalled Redford's influence on her father’s environmental work. 'They had two great movies together, and that was a really strong bond,' she said, adding that Redford was a 'catalyst' in her father's environmental interests. She recalled Redford inviting the family to Sundance and said he was a warm and helpful presence when she started her career in environmental organizations.
Leonardo DiCaprio, who spoke at the London premiere of his film One Battle After Another, called Redford an 'absolute legend' of the industry. 'We have a film tonight that we’re premiering, and he was the one that created the foundation of all that, with All The President’s Men, Three Days of the Condor,' he said.
Redford’s death prompts a look at a career that encompassed award-winning performances in films such as Out of Africa and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, as well as directing and a long-running commitment to environmental causes. The private funeral plan — reportedly organized by his wife and family — underscores Redford’s tendency toward privacy even as he remained a towering figure in Hollywood and in environmental philanthropy.