By Olaitan Ibrahim
Jane Fonda and Meryl Streep are leading the celebrity tributes after Robert Redford, the beloved Oscar-winning actor and director, died at the age of 89.
His death was announced in a statement to the New York Times by Cindi Berger, the chief executive of the publicity firm Rogers & Cowan PMK. She said he died in his sleep at his home in Utah, without detailing the cause of death.
Fonda, a frequent costar of Redford, said his death her “hit me hard.”
“I can’t stop crying. He meant a lot to me and was a beautiful person in every way,” she said in a statement, via her rep, on Tuesday.
Streep, who starred alongside Redford in the 1985 drama Out of Africa, added in a statement, “One of the lions has passed. Rest in peace my lovely friend.” Maria Shriver paid tribute to Robert Redford on Tuesday, calling him a “true Architect of Change.”
“What a loss,” she wrote on X. “Robert Redford was a giant, a true Architect of Change. His films were moving in all the right ways.
“He made you think, he made you believe in love, and he believed in true filmmakers. So many admired him, adored him, and respected him. A life well lived. I send my love and support to his family.” On her part, actress Elizabeth McGovern reflected on the kindness he showed her at the start of her career. Redford passed away peacefully at his home in Sundance, Utah, surrounded by family.
McGovern was just 18 when Redford cast her in Ordinary People, his directorial debut. At the time, she had also been accepted to Juilliard and considered turning down the role. Redford offered a solution: he arranged to film her scenes on weekends so she could attend school during the week.
McGovern later credited the gesture as pivotal, calling it “a caring thing to do for an 18-year-old kid.” The role helped launch her into a successful career, including an Oscar nomination and her acclaimed performance in Downton Abbey. The late actor also leaves behind a towering legacy not only in film but in environmental activism. For over five decades, Redford served as a trustee of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), using his global platform to champion public lands, climate action, and environmental justice.
NRDC President Manish Bapna called Redford “a giant” of the movement, praising his ability to use storytelling to galvanize public support for ambitious change. From opposing coal development in Utah in the 1970s to rallying support for the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, Redford’s advocacy helped shape landmark environmental victories.
Among his most notable efforts:
Helped establish the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge through legislative advocacy in the 1970sRaised early awareness about climate change in the 1980s
Opposed anti-environmental legislation in the 1990sLed campaigns against destructive mining projects in Alaska and Utah
Supported international climate efforts, including the Paris Climate Treaty in 2015
In 2003, NRDC named its Santa Monica office in his honor—a gesture Redford once joked was worth “taking care of the compost.” His decades of hands-on activism, humility, and strategic vision made him one of the most influential environmental advocates of his generation.