Robert Redford, giant of American cinema, dies aged 89

Robert Redford, star of Hollywood classics including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid , The Sting and All the President’s Men, has died aged 89.

In a statement, his publicist said the actor died in his sleep at his home in Utah.

Redford was one of the defining movie stars of the 1970s, crossing with ease between the Hollywood new wave and the mainstream film industry, before also becoming an Oscar-winning director and producer in the ensuing decades. He played a key role in the establishment of American independent cinema by co-founding the Sundance film festival , which acted as a platform for films such as Reservoir Dogs, The Blair Witch Project, Donnie Darko, Fruitvale Station and Coda.

View image in fullscreen Redford with Paul Newman in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid