Paul Newman’s Family Honors Robert Redford amid ‘Butch Cassidy’ Costar’s Death (Exclusive)

The family of the late Paul Newman is honoring his Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid costar Robert Redford, following news of Redford’s death at age 89 on Tuesday, Sept. 16.

Newman’s daughter, Nell, tells PEOPLE that her father and Redford’s friendship began with “a movie friendship that blossomed into a more serious friendship.”

“They had two great movies together, and that was a really strong bond,” Nell continues. “I think that’s what brought them together.”

Newman and Redford shared heartthrob status in their heyday, first starring together in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, then again in 1973’s The Sting.

“I think he was also a real catalyst in Dad’s interest in environmental issues because Bob was already ahead of the game,” she says. “I think he was a good influence on my father.”

“Bob was a quiet philanthropist. He supported a lot of stuff, but he wasn’t flashy. Dad didn’t like noisy philanthropists,” Nell explains. “I do know that when it came to environmental issues—Bob was ahead of the game. He was a real sounding board for dad. That’s really nice.”

“He was a lovely man, and I remember him fondly because he helped me get a job when I got out of college,” she says of the late actor helping her get interviews with the leaders of NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), Environmental Defense Fund, and Science in the Public Interest. “He was so warm and helpful at that particular time in my life.”

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She also explains how the two friends had a running bit with each other, “a kind of buddy-movie friendship built on pranks and mutual respect.”

A testament to their easygoing friendship: Redford famously gave Newman a dented, engine-less Porsche as a joke for his birthday one year. Newman repaid the favor by having the car crushed and sent back to his fellow actor, which Nell says is “one of the best stories” of their pranks.

Nell also recalls how Redford always invited Newman or his family to Sundance, Utah. “Every single time I talked to him on the phone, ‘Come out and go skiing. Come out and go to the festival,’ ” she says. “He was just a regular guy who had a very strong interest in the environment—he was just a good one.”

Newman died at age 83 in September 2008, after a long battle with cancer, according to a statement from publicist Jeff Sanderson at the time.

Following the news of Newman’s death, Redford said in a statement, “There is a point where feelings go beyond words.”

“I have lost a real friend. My life – and this country – is better for his being in it,” he added at the time.

Cindi Berger, chairman and CEO of Rogers & Cowan PMK, confirmed Redford’s death to PEOPLE in a statement on Tuesday.

“Robert Redford passed away on Sept. 16, 2025, at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah — the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved,” Berger said. “He will be missed greatly. The family requests privacy.”

Redford was predeceased by his two sons: James, who died in 2020 at age 58 from bile-duct cancer in his liver, and Scott, who died of sudden infant death syndrome two months after his birth in 1959.

He is survived by wife Sibylle Szaggars Redford, daughters Shauna and Amy and grandchildren.