Leonardo DiCaprio has credited the late Robert Redford with inspiring his environmental activism, paying tribute to the actor following his death at the age of 89. Speaking at the London premiere of his new film, One Battle After Another, DiCaprio described Redford as 'an absolute legend and an inspiration'.
DiCaprio, who co-starred with Redford in the 2008 film Body of Lies, told reporters: 'I admired that man very much, not only as an actor, but as a director and an environmentalist.' He noted that Redford was a member of the Natural Resources Defense Council, an advocate for indigenous rights, and had saved land in Utah, in addition to founding the Sundance Film Festival.
Redford, who died peacefully at his home in Sundance, Utah, was a prominent environmentalist. In 1975, he led efforts to prevent a power plant being built in Utah, and later established the Institute for Resource Management. He also co-founded the Redford Center, a non-profit organisation focused on environmental filmmaking.
DiCaprio has long been an outspoken advocate for environmental issues, calling climate change 'the most urgent threat facing our entire species'. Both actors also famously portrayed Jay Gatsby in different film adaptations of The Great Gatsby: Redford in 1974 and DiCaprio in 2013.
US President Donald Trump also paid tribute to Redford, saying 'there was nobody better' and calling his passing 'a good way to go'. Trump cited several of Redford's classic films, including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, All The President's Men, and The Sting.
