Robert Redford passed away this week at the age of 89, and while his career spanned decades, some people are just discovering they actually know him from a famous meme
Hollywood legend Robert Redford passed away peacefully in his sleep this week at the age of 89. He leaves behind a film legacy that not many can match, with a career that spanned decades and saw him grace screens as both an actor and director. He had one directing Oscar to his name for the 1980 film Ordinary People, and in 2002, he was awarded the lifetime achievement Oscar for his contributions to cinema.
Redford is most known for his roles in timeless films such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, All the President’s Men, The Way We Were and Out of Africa. But even if you’ve never seen any of these classics, you might have seen Redford somewhere else without even realising.
People online are only just realising that Redford is actually the face of a well-known meme – and it’s one that has been attributed to a completely different actor for years.
The meme is known as the “Jeremiah Johnson Nod of Approval” which features a man with long blonde hair and beard nodding as the camera slowly zooms in on him. It’s usually used as a reaction image to indicate a form of approval.
The short clip, usually shared as a GIF file, features Robert Redford dressed as the titular character of the 1972 film, Jeremiah Johnson. However, the star is often mistaken for an entirely different actor – Zach Galifianakis.
Following the sad news of Redford’s passing, the X account Know Your Meme posted it and said: “Robert Redford, dead at 89, leaves behind a cultural imprint that stretched from the silver screen to our computer screens.”
And commenters were left gobsmacked, as many had no idea the image depicted Robert Redford.
One person said: “Today years old, finding out that’s not Zach Galifianakis.”
Another wrote: “I thought that was Zach Galifianakis?!”
The Know Your Meme account then responded: “You and everyone else.”
Robert Redford’s passing was first reported on Tuesday (September 16) in a statement from Redford’s publicist, Cindi Berger, chairman and chief executive of talent agency Rogers and Cowan PMK.
It read: “Robert Redford passed away on September 16, 2025, at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah – the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved. He will be missed greatly. The family requests privacy.”
Among Robert’s huge achievements was founding the Sundance Institute, a non-profit that supports independent filmmakers. The Institute hosts the annual Sundance Festival, which is believed to be the largest independent film festival in the US.
Following the sad news, they said: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of our founder and friend Robert Redford. Bob’s vision of a space and a platform for independent voices launched a movement that, over four decades later, has inspired generations of artists and redefined cinema in the US and around the world.
“Beyond his enormous contributions to culture at large, we will miss his generosity, clarity of purpose, curiosity, rebellious spirit, and his love for the creative process.
Source: Mirror
Leave a Reply