President Donald Trump on Tuesday reflected on the life and career of Robert Redford after the actor's death, praising Redford as 'great' and recalling the span of years when, in his view, no other actor matched his peak. Trump, who was leaving the White House for a visit to the U.K., told reporters that Redford 'was great; he had a series of years where there was nobody better' and noted that Redford died in his sleep. 'That's a good way to go, I guess,' the president said. 'Well, you have a lot of them … I’d say he made seven or eight great movies, they were really great. There was a period of time when he was the hottest,' he added. 'I thought he was great.'
Redford died Tuesday at his Sundance, Utah home, at age 89, according to his publicist. Cindi Berger, chief executive of Rogers & Cowan PMK, confirmed the actor's passing to HuffPost and asked for privacy.
Redford, a Democratic-leaning actor who was outspoken about politics, publicly criticized Trump in 2019. In a Washington Post op-ed, Redford wrote that the president 'degrades everything he touches' and suggested that Trump did not understand that his duty is to defend democracy. In a separate 2019 NBC News op-ed, Redford described America as facing a 'dictator-like attack' from the president. In 2020, Redford endorsed Joe Biden for president in a CNN column, arguing that the country had 'lost its place as a world leader' during Trump's tenure.
Beyond politics, Redford was known for starring roles in films such as 'The Candidate' and 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,' and he helped found the Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival. He died at his home in Sundance, Utah, surrounded by loved ones, family representatives said. The publicist emphasized that the family requests privacy at this time.
The 89-year-old actor, filmmaker and longtime activist left a lasting impact on American cinema and independent film, with a career that included decades of work as a performer and mentor to filmmakers. His passing drew condolences from colleagues and fans who recalled Redford's contributions to both the industry and political discourse. The White House and Redford's representatives did not immediately provide further comment beyond the initial statements.