Scarlett Johansson tearfully honored Robert Redford after his death at 89, recalling how working with him on The Horse Whisperer at age 12 inspired her to direct, while fellow stars like Leonardo DiCaprio praised his lasting legacy as both a Hollywood giant and a passionate environmental activist.

Hollywood is still reeling from the loss of Robert Redford, the legendary actor, director, and activist who passed away at the age of 89 last week.

Tributes have poured in from across the film industry, but one of the most heartfelt came from Scarlett Johansson, who credits Redford with inspiring her to pursue a career behind the camera when she was just a child actress.

In a recent interview with Access Hollywood, given only days before Redford’s passing, Johansson reflected on her earliest experiences working with him on the 1998 film The Horse Whisperer.

At just 12 years old, Johansson was cast opposite Redford in the drama, which he also directed.

The experience, she revealed, left an impression that would shape the trajectory of her entire career.

“Watching Bob Redford command a scene, he was blocking a complicated scene inside a riding ring, and then on the flip side he was coming and having very intimate conversations with the actors,” Johansson recalled.

“There was always time to let the performances… allow for a period of discovery for the actors, to find the performances.”

Those moments, Johansson said, sparked her earliest interest in directing, planting the seed for what has now become her own journey as a filmmaker.

Her directorial debut, Eleanor the Great, is set to premiere later this year, and she openly credits Redford for laying the foundation of her artistic vision.

“He showed me that directing isn’t just about control — it’s about trust, patience, and the courage to let creativity unfold,” she added.

Following Redford’s death, Johansson released a written statement expressing her gratitude and sorrow.

“Bob believed in me before I even believed in myself,” she wrote.

“I am forever grateful for his grace, his guidance, and his generosity.

He gave me one of my first opportunities and treated me as an equal even when I was a child.

He was a true giant — in art, in activism, and in kindness.”

She is far from the only star reflecting on Redford’s impact.

Leonardo DiCaprio, who has often cited Redford as a role model, spoke at the London premiere of his latest film, One Battle After Another.

DiCaprio praised not only Redford’s legendary career, which spanned more than six decades and included iconic roles in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, and All the President’s Men, but also his tireless activism.

“Robert wasn’t just a great actor and director — he was a visionary,” DiCaprio said.

“His environmental work, his passion for preserving the natural world, and his dedication to Sundance as a platform for independent voices, that’s the legacy that will continue to inspire all of us.”

Indeed, Redford’s influence extended far beyond Hollywood.

He founded the Sundance Institute in 1981, which grew into one of the most important platforms for independent cinema in the world.

His commitment to environmental activism also made him a respected figure on the global stage, championing conservation and climate awareness long before those issues became mainstream.

For Johansson, the memory of a 12-year-old girl watching a master at work remains vivid.

“He was larger than life, but he never made you feel small,” she once told an interviewer.

That balance of power and humility, of artistry and activism, is what many say defined Robert Redford both on and off the screen.

As Hollywood prepares to honor him in a series of upcoming tributes — including a retrospective at the Sundance Film Festival and special programming across major networks — stars like Johansson and DiCaprio continue to underline the profound personal mark he left on them.

For younger generations of actors and filmmakers, Redford was more than an icon; he was proof that talent could be coupled with conscience, and that the screen could be used not just to entertain, but to inspire change.

Scarlett Johansson’s words echo the sentiment of countless others: that Robert Redford’s passing is not just the loss of a Hollywood legend, but the farewell to a man who shaped the industry’s future while fighting fiercely for the world beyond it.