Actor Leonardo DiCaprio has paid tribute to actor Robert Redford, who has died aged 89, saying the film industry has "lost an absolute legend".
Redford was acclaimed for films including All The President’s Men, Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid and The Sting, and was also known for his activism, as well as directing films such as Ordinary People, for which he won an Oscar, and A River Runs Through It.
Speaking at the London premiere of One Battle After Another, DiCaprio, said: "Very sad news, very sad day.
"We lost an absolute legend in our industry. I admire him not only for his work as an actor, but also as a director of Quiz Show.
"We have a film tonight that we’re premiering, which is a political thriller in a lot of ways, and he was the one who created the foundation for all that, with All The President’s Men, Three Days Of The Condor.
"But more so than anything, I’ve said it over and over again, he was an avid environmental advocate, was a member of the NRDC (Natural Resources Defence Council) like me, and he was a hero to a lot of people in our industry, including myself, so it’s a huge loss."
Actor Benicio Del Toro, also at the premiere, paid tribute to Redford’s work as advocate for independent cinema, which led to his creation of the Sundance Institute, known for its annual Sundance Film Festival.
He said: "One of my earliest memories in this business was the premiere of The Usual Suspects in Sundance, and I will never forget that moment, and it was amazing.
"And what he did for young film-makers with Sundance in America, in the USA, it’s unprecedented, and it was amazing.
"I believe that he touched my career, not only as an entertainer, but also as an influence, influencing great young film-makers that have been going through Sundance and becoming legends like probably Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another director)."
The festival has helped launch the careers of directors including Quentin Tarantino and Steven Soderbergh, and provided a launchpad for films such as Reservoir Dogs, Sex, Lies And Videotape, The Blair Witch Project, Little Miss Sunshine and recent Oscar-winner Coda.
Meryl Streep, who starred opposite him in the 1985 romantic drama Out Of Africa and the 2007 war film Lions For Lambs, which Redford also directed, has also paid tribute.
She said in a statement: "One of the lions has passed. Rest in peace my lovely friend."
Jane Fonda, who starred opposite Redford in four films, described him as "a beautiful person in every way".
"It hit me hard this morning when I read that Bob was gone. I can't stop crying," she said.
"He meant a lot to me and was a beautiful person in every way. He stood for an America we have to keep fighting for."
Actress Marlee Matlin, one of the stars of Oscar-winning film Coda, which first premiered at Redford's Sundance film festival, wrote on X: "Our film, Coda, came to the attention of everyone because of Sundance.
"And Sundance happened because of Robert Redford. A genius has passed."
Spencer Cox, the governor of Utah, the US state when Redford lived and established the festival, wrote: "Decades ago, Robert Redford came to Utah and fell in love with this place.
"He cherished our landscapes and built a legacy that made Utah a home for storytelling and creativity.
"Through Sundance and his devotion to conservation, he shared Utah with the world. Today we honor his life, his vision, and his lasting contribution to our state."
Also paying tribute on Instagram was actress Demi Moore, who starred alongside Redford in 1993’s Indecent Proposal.
She said: "The world has lost an incredible actor, director, husband, father, friend … Robert’s legacy will live on forever in so many ways and I will carry the many memories we share close to my heart.
"What I would do for just one more dance."
It comes after a statement from Redford’s publicist Cindi Berger, chairman and chief executive of talent agency Rogers and Cowan PMK, said: "Robert Redford passed away on September 16, 2025, at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah – the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved.
"He will be missed greatly. The family requests privacy."
Redford was a Hollywood golden boy in the 1970s after his leading roles in Barefoot In The Park, with Jane Fonda, and Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, in which he starred opposite Paul Newman.
He was nominated for an Oscar for his role in 1973’s The Sting, which reunited him with Newman, and starred opposite Faye Dunaway in Three Days Of The Condor and Barbra Streisand in The Way We Were, before taking on the role of Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward in Watergate film All The President’s Men in 1976, opposite Dustin Hoffman as Carl Bernstein.
Redford started to eschew his leading man status and turned his hand to directing, winning an Oscar for his directorial debut Ordinary People.
Other directorial projects included 1988’s The Milagro Beanfield War and A River Runs Through It in 1992, as well as Quiz Show in 1994 and 1998’s The Horse Whisperer, in which he starred opposite Scarlett Johansson and Kristin Scott Thomas.
Redford carried on acting throughout his career, with notable roles in The Natural, Out Of Africa and blockbuster Indecent Proposal, in which he starred opposite Demi Moore and Woody Harrelson.
He won rave reviews in 2013 for his turn as a shipwrecked sailor in All Is Lost, in which he was the film’s only performer, and most recently he ventured into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, playing double agent Alexander Pierce.
Redford was also a passionate environmentalist and climate activist and founded The Redford Centre, an environmental non-profit that produces films and provides grants to filmmakers who direct films that touch on climate change and the environment, with his late son James in 2005.
Redford and ex-wife Lola Van Wagenen had four children together: Scott, who died in infancy, Shauna, Amy, and James, who died from bile duct cancer in his liver at the age of 58.
He married his second wife, artist Sibylle Szaggars Redford, in 2009.
Source: Press Association
