Robert Redford, the actor turned Oscar-winning director, liberal activist, and godfather of independent cinema, has passed away at the age of 89. According to his publicist, Redford died at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah surrounded by his loved ones. At the time of writing this piece, no cause of death has been provided.

Redford’s rise in Hollywood happened throughout the ’60s and he became one of the biggest stars of the following decade. Some of his films included “The Candidate,” “All the President’s Men,” and “The Way We Were.” But his talents weren’t just in front of a camera, but also behind it. In 1981 Redford won “Best Director” for his feature film, “Ordinary People”. The film also took the grand prize of “Best Picture”. Along with “Best Supporting Actor”, “Best Adapted Screenplay”, “Best Supporting Actor”, and “Best Actress”.

There was no limit to the roles Redford played. Ranging from a Washington Post journalist, to a mountain man, and even a double agent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Throughout his career, he was able to work with some amazing Hollywood talent that included Jane Fonda, Meryl Streep, Tom Cruise, and of course Paul Newman.

Redford was also the brainchild behind the creation of the Sundance Film Festival. He was looking to recapture the creative spirit of an earlier time. Sundance was meant to nurture new talent without the immense pressures of Hollywood. The institute, located in Park City, Utah was also home to one of the most important film festivals. This is where you found filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Darren Aronofsky, who were previously unknown.

In 2016, Robert Redford was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama.