In the end, the Sundance Kid died in his sleep. The death of the actor, director and Sundance Film Festival founder Robert Redford at the age of 89 removes one of the last great American icons of cinema from the world stage.

Redford was prematurely youthful, even towards the end of his life, never quite losing that shock of blonde hair that first made him stand out as a star of the Sixties and Seventies. However, he was never a dumb blonde, being one of the most politically savvy actors of his generation, as well as an astute businessman who managed to avoid falling foul of the changing shifts in fashion and taste. His status as a Hollywood legend was assured long before he died, but now it will be cemented in history.

Redford mixed charisma, charm, political engagement and good old-fashioned star quality

The first film in which he appeared was 1962’s forgotten War Hunt, and the last picture that he starred in was – bizarrely – a cameo in Avengers: Endgame in 2019, in which he played the nefarious Alexander Pierce. Nevertheless, he was better........

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