Robert Redford, actor and Oscar-winning director, died early Tuesday morning in his home in Utah. He was 89. His death was announced in a statement by Cindi Berger, the chief executive of the publicity firm Rogers & Cowan PMK.

Berger said Redford died at his home "in the mountains of Utah - the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved. He will be missed greatly. The family requests privacy."His cause of death was not revealed.

After rising to stardom in the 1960s, Redford was one of the biggest stars of the '70s with such films as The Candidate, All the President's Men and The Way We Were, capping that decade with the best director Oscar for 1980's Ordinary People, which also won best picture in 1980. His wavy blond hair and boyish grin made him the most desired of leading men, but he worked hard to transcend his looks - whether through his political advocacy, his willingness to take on unglamourous roles or his dedication to providing a platform for low-budget movies. Story continues below advertisement 2:25 Robert Redford receives Presidential Medal of Freedom His roles ranged from Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward to a mountain man in Jeremiah Johnson to a double agent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and his co-stars included Jane Fonda, Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise.

But his most famous screen partner was his old friend and fellow activist and practical joker Paul Newman, their films a variation of their warm, teasing relationship off screen. Redford played the wily outlaw opposite Newman in 1969's Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, a box-office smash from which Redford's Sundance Institute and festival got its name. He also teamed with Newman on 1973's best picture Oscar winner, The Sting, which earned Redford a best-actor nomination as a young con artist in 1930s Chicago. View image in full screen Robert Redford (left) as Sundance Kid and Paul Newman as Butch Cassidy in the 1969 western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. John Springer Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images Film roles after the '70s became more sporadic as Redford concentrated on directing and producing, and his new role as patriarch of the independent-film movement in the 1980s and '90s through his Sundance Institute. But he starred in 1985's best picture champion Out of Africa and in 2013 received some of the best reviews of his career as a shipwrecked sailor in All is Lost, in which he was the film's only performer. In 2018, he was praised again in what he called his farewell movie, The Old Man and the Gun. Story continues below advertisement "I just figure that I've had a long career that I'm very pleased with. It's been so long, ever since I was 21," he told The Associated Press shortly before the film came out. "I figure now as I'm getting into my 80s, it's maybe time to move toward retirement and spend more time with my wife and family." Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy. Sundance is born More on Entertainment More videos Country singers Zach Bryan, Gavin Adcock face off in music fest altercation Ellen DeGeneres sued for negligence for allegedly causing T-bone car crash Robert Munsch, Canadian children's author, says he's been approved for MAID Prince Harry 'closer' to bringing kids to U.K. after King Charles meeting Emmy Awards 2025: Television's hottest stars light up the red carpet Vancouver's Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg cement success with Emmy wins for 'The Studio' What to do about crowd chaos during concerts at Commonwealth Stadium? Canadian Country Music Awards in Kelowna a big hit Redford had watched Hollywood grow more cautious and controlling during the 1970s and wanted to recapture the creative spirit of the early part of the decade. Sundance was created to nurture new talent away from the pressures of Hollywood, the institute providing a training ground and the festival, based in Park City, Utah, where Redford had purchased land with the initial hope of opening a ski resort. Instead, Park City became a place of discovery for such previously unknown filmmakers as Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Paul Thomas Anderson and Darren Aronofsky."For me, the word to be underscored is 'independence,'" Redford told the AP in 2018. "I've always believed in that word. That's what led to me eventually wanting to create a category that supported independent artists who weren't given a chance to be heard."The industry was pretty well controlled by the mainstream, which I was a part of. But I saw other stories out there that weren't having a chance to be told and I thought, 'Well, maybe I can commit my energies to giving those people a chance.' As I look back on it, I feel very good about that." Story continues below advertisement 2:00 Two Women: Chloé Robichau