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An irreplaceable Hollywood icon, Robert Redford died on September 16, 2025, and immediately left a void in the film industry. Known for starring in movies like All The President’s Men, The Way We Were, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Redford was also a visionary director and directed movies like Ordinary People, A River Runs Through It, and more.
The veteran Hollywood legend was also the torchbearer and creator of the famous Sundance Film Festival, which has offered independent cinema an international platform since 1981 and has shown the spotlight on directors like the Coen Brothers and Quentin Tarantino.
Robert Redford’s demise has brought young and old Hollywood actors together as the film industry mourned the loss of an icon. The actor’s last onscreen appearance was in the TV show Dark Winds, which was a passionate project for Robert Redford. After his demise, the executive producers of the show paid homage to Redford and shared their thoughts about the actor with The Hollywood Reporter.
Robert Redford’s association with Dark Winds and the show’s executive producers pay their tributes to the actor
Dark Winds is a psychological thriller show featuring Zahn McClarnon, Kiowa Gordon, and others. Created by Graham Roland and based on the novel series by Tony Hillerman, the show is executively produced by Robert Redford and George R.R. Martin.
The series focuses on three Navajo Tribal Police officers and is set in the 1970s in the Four Corners area of the US. Redford acquired the rights to Hillerman’s story in 1986, but the show spent many years in development. With three seasons in tow, the show premiered in 2022, and in early 2025, Redford made an uncredited cameo in season three, alongside George R.R. Martin.
In his last onscreen appearance, the veteran actor, director, and producer is seen playing chess with Martin inside a jail cell in the Navajo Tribal Police station, and Robert Redford says a dialogue that is a reference to Martin’s unfinished book series that inspired Game of Thrones. The show’s lead, Lieutenant Leaphorn, also joins and helps Redford with a move that gives Martin a checkmate. In light of the actor’s unfortunate demise, the show’s executive producers gave a collective statement to The Hollywood Reporter,
“Today we remember a visionary artist, mentor and friend. Our producing team is humbled and honored to have worked with Robert Redford for over a decade developing Dark Winds...His passion, rebellious spirit and leadership has opened doors for many Native and Indigenous voices. We’re inspired to continue Bob’s legacy...”
Dark Winds is available on AMC, and they issued a statement stating,
“Robert Redford was an immense talent and extraordinarily meaningful figure in our industry as an actor, director, producer, and champion of story, character, and independent film...For the last two decades, we have been proud to work and partner with him through his Sundance Film Festival...and, most recently, Dark Winds, a series he had been developing for almost 40 years. He was an American icon whose work will live on forever.”
Interestingly, showrunner John Wirth had shared in a separate interview with The Hollywood Reporter that he always wanted Redford and Martin to appear in the show. Wirth comments that he thought that it would never happen, and yet, when the day of the shooting arrived, Redford got into the character seamlessly, according to Wirth.
Hollywood pays tribute to Robert Redford
Robert Redford’s death brought an outpour of love and admiration from all corners of Hollywood as the actor died on September 16 at the age of 89, “at Sundance in the mountains of Utah - the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved”, according to his publicist Cindi Berger.
Redford has won numerous awards, like the Oscars, the BAFTAs, the Golden Globes, and has even been honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Redford also won an Oscar for Best Director for his directorial debut movie, Ordinary People.
Known for his passion to create cinema that is meaningful and touches lives, he founded the Sundance Institute, which created the renowned Film Festival and promoted independent filmmakers and movies. Further, the actor was also known for his progressive views on environmental activism.
Actress Meryl Streep remembered Redford and stated that “One of the lions has passed”. Filmmaker Ron Howard also wrote on X and stated that the actor was a “tremendously influential cultural figure” and was an “artistic gamechanger.” Actor Colman Domingo also paid a tribute and stated, “Thank you, Mr. Redford, for your everlasting impact.”
Jane Fonda, who was seen with Redford in The Chase and The Electric Horseman, shared an emotional statement. She mentioned to USA TODAY that, “It hit me hard...that Bob was gone. I can’t stop crying.” Even the President of the United States, Donald Trump, shared his thoughts and stated that, “Robert Redford was great.”
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