Robert Redford, the Oscar-winning actor, director and founder of the Sundance Institute, urged young filmmakers to get involved, persevere and believe in their projects in what appears to be his final interview, the remarks that came to light as news of his death was announced Tuesday. Redford, 89, died in his sleep at his home outside Provo, Utah, the death was announced by Cindi Berger of publicity firm Rogers & Cowan PMK.
In a November conversation with Orion Magazine, Redford counseled aspiring filmmakers not to be deterred by rejection and to let projects sink in so they could develop the stamina to make change. "Start by getting involved. Don't take it lightly and move on to the next thing and the next thing and the next thing," he said. "Stop long enough to have something sink in with you, so you feel connected to it. That will give you the energy to stick with it long enough to make change."
Redford also urged young artists to trust their instincts. "You have to believe in your own projects and ideas more than anyone else," he told Orion, adding that filmmakers should look for the emotional or dramatic hook that will attract audiences, particularly younger viewers. He quoted T.S. Eliot: "For us, there is only the trying. The rest is not our business."
Redford rose to prominence as one of Hollywood's leading men, starring in films that included Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President's Men. He moved into directing later in his career and won the Academy Award for Best Director for Ordinary People. His work as a director and producer earned him further recognition, including multiple Golden Globe awards and a Best Picture and Best Director nomination for Quiz Show.
In 1981 Redford founded the nonprofit Sundance Institute to support independent artists and, in 1984, transformed a struggling regional event into what is now the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The festival became a showcase for emerging filmmakers and helped launch the careers of directors such as Quentin Tarantino, Ava DuVernay, James Wan and Darren Aronofsky.
Redford continued to act into his later years, with roles including John Gage in Indecent Proposal (1993) and Bill Bryson in A Walk in the Woods (2015). Throughout his career he received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to film and the arts.
Berger, the publicity chief who announced his death, did not provide further details about the circumstances. Redford's comments in the Orion interview emphasize a longtime public commitment to nurturing new talent and underlined the role he expected younger generations to play in carrying the arts forward.
Friends, colleagues and institutions including the Sundance Institute have in recent years publicly acknowledged Redford's influence on independent film and his support for artists. The institute and the festival he helped build remain central platforms for new cinematic voices, reflecting the priorities he expressed in his final public remarks.