Robert Redford Dies at 89; Hollywood Icon’s Final Starring Role Brought Him to Kentucky

Over the last decade, it seems we've been losing more and more celebrities that I grew up watching. The Emmys' annual In Memoriam segment Sunday night drove that point home faster than it usually does. Parading across my screen were TV legends who left indelible impressions.

Robert Redford Dies

And this coming March, when the Academy Awards roll around, that In Memoriam segment will undoubtedly include a Hollywood icon who passed away this morning. Come to think of it, Robert Redford, who died today at 89, would be due a separate tribute, in my opinion.

Although the most of what are considered classic Redford films (Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, The Sting, and All the President's Men among them) were released in the 1960s and 1970s, he won his only Oscar for directing the 1980 Best Picture winner, Ordinary People. And he continued to work steadily, both behind and in front of the camera, for the last 40 years of his life. His last acting role came in 2019's Avengers: Endgame.

Robert Redford's Last Film Shot in KY

His second-to-last acting role, however, brought him to Kentucky to film part of the 2018 crime drama, The Old Man & the Gun, the true story of career criminal and prison escapee Forrest Tucker. It brought Redford his final Golden Globe nomination. It also brought him to northern Kentucky, specifically Latonia, where a car chase was filmed, and Covington, where scenes were shot at Citizens Federal Savings & Loan.

Redford announced his retirement after shooting wrapped. His brief Avengers role was completed and in the can before he began filming The Old Man & the Gun.

I've always been a Robert Redford fan, with The Sting topping my list. All the President's Men, A Walk in the Woods, Cassidy/Sundance, and the underrated comedy Sneakers are among my other favorites.

That sounds like an excellent mini-Robert Redford film festival, if you ask me.