'One of the lions has passed': stars pay tribute to Robert Redford, who has died at 89

Meryl Streep and Jane Fonda led tributes yesterday after the death of the Hollywood legend Robert Redford aged 89.

- Andrew Pulver

Redford, who co-starred in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting and All the President's Men, died at his home in Sundance, Utah, in "the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved", according to his publicist, Cindi Berger.

Streep, who starred with Redford in Out of Africa in 1985, said: "One of the lions has passed. Rest in peace, my lovely friend." Fonda, who was one of Redford's close friends, said: "It hit me hard this morning when I read that Bob was gone. I can't stop crying. 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." 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.

Redford also acquired a reputation as one of Hollywood's leading liberals and campaigned on environmental issues, including acting as a trustee of the Natural Resources Defense Council advocacy group and vocally opposing the since-cancelled Keystone XL pipeline extension.

Born Charles Robert Redford in 1936, he grew up in Los Angeles and, after he dropped out of the University of Colorado, studied acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.