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Robert Redford dies; actor brought Roy Hobbs to life in 'The Natural'

The actor also produced and directed 'The Legend of Bagger Vance' in his limited sports film catalogue.

By J.P. Hoornstra

Movie actor Robert Redford throws out the ceremonial first pitch prior to a game between the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field on April 1, 2011.
Movie actor Robert Redford throws out the ceremonial first pitch prior to a game between the Chicago Cubs and the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field on April 1, 2011. / Dennis Wierzbicki-Imagn Images
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Actor, producer, and director Robert Redford, who brought the fictional story of Roy Hobbs to the big screen in "The Natural," died early Tuesday at his home in Utah, according to multiple reports. He was 89.

Redford counted the role of Hobbs, a baseball player whose career was derailed by a gunshot wound before writing a storybook comeback in middle age, among his most memorable. The 1984 film grossed approximately $48 million after its 1984 release and spawned a memorable home run scene that would be replayed at professional ballparks for decades.

The cap, bat, and jacket that Redford used in this scene were later donated to the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y. for an exhibit.

Redford also produced and directed "The Legend of Bagger Vance" (2000), a golf movie that cast Will Smith in the title role opposite Matt Damon.

Neither "The Natural" nor "Bagger Vance" were light movies. Redford channeled broader themes through these ostensibly sports-focused titles — an approach that echoed throughout an on- and off-screen career which spanned seven decades.

In 1969, the same year he starred in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" — a role that defined his legacy in a literal sense — Redford also played skier David Chappellet in "Downhill Racer."

While that film is largely forgotten, the annual "Sundance" Film Festival in Park City, Utah became integral to Redford's legacy as much as any role he portrayed as one of Hollywood's leading men.

After taking over the festival, Redford helped launch the careers of dozens of independent filmmakers in the decades that followed. Sundance proved a launching pad for sports-themed films such as "Prefontaine" (1997), "The Bronze" (2015), and "The Winning Season" (2009).

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