Hollywood legend Robert Redford, an Oscar-winning director and actor, died on Tuesday, 16 September, at age 89. The actor-filmmaker was one of the biggest stars in the 1960s and 1970s, winning an Oscar in the 1980s for directing Ordinary People. While his rich body of work spans decades, fans can’t help but remember one role in light of the news of his death.

Fans remember his portrayal of Death in The Twilight Zone

In Season 3 of the popular television anthology series The Twilight Zone, Robert played Death in an episode titled Nothing in the Dark, which aired in 1962. Directed by Lamont Johnson, the episode, written by George Clayton Johnson, sees an old woman struggling to accept the end of her life. Death comes to help her transition in the form of a young police officer named Harold Bendon.

As soon as news broke of Robert’s death, numerous fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to list out their favourite performances of his. One fan wrote, “My 5 favorite things Robert Redford did: 1. The Sting, 2. Ordinary People (Director), 3. All The President’s Men, 4. Three Days of the Condor, 5. Twilight Zone (Episode – “Nothing in the Dark”).”

Several others seemed to agree that his performance as Death was one of his best. One fan wrote, “RIP Robert Redford. Your performance in The Twilight Zone as a warm and gentle personification of Death brought me to tears.” Another hoped that Robert was received by death just as warmly, writing, “I hope Robert Redford’s died peacefully and was something akin to the episode of The Twilight Zone where he played a version of death who makes an older woman’s death a peaceful transition to the next phase of life.”

“Sad to see that Robert Redford touched the hand of Mr. Death. I think of all the things he did, his one Twilight Zone episode stuck with me the most,” wrote one fan. One shared a clip from the episode, writing, “RIP Robert Redford, the Twilight Zone ep “Nothing in the Dark” means a lot more now.” A fan even posted a dialogue as his eulogy, writing, “It’s okay. There’s nothing to be afraid of.” Twilight Zone episode “Nothing in the Dark.”

Robert Redford’s death

News agency AP quoted Robert’s Cindi Berger saying in a statement that the actor died “at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah — the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved.” No cause of death was provided. Robert’s most notable roles include films like The Sting, The Candidate, All the President’s Men, The Way We Were, and more.