Robert Redford, the golden-haired Hollywood icon whose magnetic screen presence defined American cinema for generations, died Tuesday morning at his Utah home. He was 89.
The Oscar-winning actor and director maintained a special connection to Newport that spanned 42 years — from his star-making role in “The Great Gatsby” to his heartfelt 2016 thank-you letter to the city.
Cindi Berger of Rogers & Cowan PMK confirmed Redford died peacefully in his sleep near Provo, Utah. No cause was given.
Redford first filmed in Newport in 1974 for “The Great Gatsby,” starring opposite Mia Farrow with Rosecliff mansion serving as Gatsby’s estate. The film won two Academy Awards and helped establish Newport as a filming destination.
He returned in 2016 at age 79 to film “The Discovery,” a Netflix science fiction drama with Rooney Mara and Jason Segel. Locations included Newport Hospital, Seaview Terrace, Bellevue Avenue and Second Beach.
After filming wrapped, Redford sent a personal letter praising Newport’s preservation efforts. “I was pleasantly surprised that, some 40 years later, the city looks and feels almost exactly as it did when I first came here,” he wrote in May 2016. “I commend the community for the vision and care demonstrated to ensure for the preservation of its historical and culturally significant properties.”
The letter concluded: “The welcoming and warm spirit of the community will not soon be forgotten.”
Redford’s charisma in classics like “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “The Sting” and “All the President’s Men” made him one of the biggest stars of the 1970s and ’80s. He won an Oscar for directing “Ordinary People” in 1980 and founded the Sundance Institute, championing independent film. President Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.
His 2016 letter documents his appreciation for Newport’s historic preservation efforts.
Redford leaves behind his wife, Sibylle Szaggars, and children Shauna and Amy from his first marriage.
