Robert Redford’s ‘Bittersweet’ Twilight Zone Performance as ‘Mr. Death’ Resurfaces Following His Death at 89

Robert Redford‘s performance as Harold Beldon or “Mr. Death” in a 1962 episode of the anthology series The Twilight Zone is resurfacing amid his death.

Redford died in his sleep at his home in Utah on Tuesday, Sept. 16. He was 89.

In the memorable episode, Redford played Harold Beldon, a wounded police officer who is actually Mr. Death. He is sent to guide an elderly woman named Wanda Dunn (Gladys Cooper) peacefully to her death after she has narrowly escaped countless times. The episode aired in January 1962 and was written by George Clayton Johnson.

In the final scene, the late actor’s calming version of the Grim Reaper tells Wanda, “Am I really so bad? Am I really so frightening? You’ve talked to me. You’ve confided in me. Have I tried to hurt you? It isn’t me you’re afraid of. You understand me. What you’re afraid of is the unknown. Don’t be afraid.”

After Wanda panics, Harold assures her, “It’s time to rest.”

He then delivers an impactful statement on death.

“You see? No shock. No engulfment, no tearing asunder. What you feared would come like an explosion? Is like a whisper. What you thought was the end was the beginning,” Redford’s character says.

Fans of the late Oscar winner have reposted the clip on X to reflect on his legacy.

“Robert Redford playing a gentle incarnation of death, coming for a frightened old woman in The Twilight Zone episode ‘Nothing in the Dark’ (1962). An extraordinary performance then, terribly bittersweet today,” author Dave Itzkoff wrote on X, where he shared a clip from the show.

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According to The New York Times, which was the first to report the actor’s death, Redford died at his home outside Provo on Tuesday morning. No cause of death was given, but Cindi Berger, chairman and CEO of Rogers & Cowan PMK, told the outlet in a statement that he died in his sleep.

“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 tells PEOPLE in a statement. “He will be missed greatly. The family requests privacy.”

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