Robert Redford and Paul Newman appear in the climactic final scene of 1969's "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid."
Robert Redford stars as comeback kid Roy Hobbs in baseball movie "The Natural."
Robert Redford stars as an aging man whose criminal habit is hard to break in "Old Man & the Gun."

Robert Redford was in newspaper movies, baseball movies, Western movies, even Marvel movies. And in his epic career, the Hollywood legend left no film fan disappointed with his catalog of key roles.

The actor, who died Sept. 16 at 89, might have won an Oscar for directing "Ordinary People," but it's in front of the camera where Redford notched his biggest mark. He made the most of his screen time with scene partners – whether it was Paul Newman, Dustin Hoffman or Barbra Streisand – and created the kind of filmography that most stars never have. He even played Death on a "Twilight Zone" episode; now that is range.

His work spoke to audiences in a big way: Who didn't want to be a journalist after seeing Redford going after corruption in Washington in "All the President's Men" or team up with a pal for a little criminal revenge after watching "The Sting"?

Whether you're revisiting the classics or doing a Redford deep dive for the first time, here are his essential roles:

'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid' (1969)

In his breakthrough role, Redford played the brusque and dangerous Sundance opposite Paul Newman's personable Butch in the box-office smash, the iconic buddy Western about two outlaws on the run after a series of train robberies. Yeah, he hated that "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" needle drop but even that worked out.

'The Candidate' (1972)

Who wouldn't vote Redford for elected office with all that likability? In the Oscar-winning political dramedy – with an all-timer of a victory speech – he played a Democrat and son of a California governor who's tapped to run for a senate seat against a seemingly unbeatable Republican incumbent.

'Jeremiah Johnson' (1972)

The kids probably know Redford for the GIF from this Western of his very bearded self giving a nod of approval. Go beyond the meme and give this one a watch, as Redford stars as a veteran of the Mexican-American War in the 1800s who finds new purpose living life as a mountain man.

'The Sting' (1973)

Redford and Newman cemented themselves as one of the most iconic pairings in film history as Butch and Sundance, and it was arguably better when they ran it back for this delightful con-man extravaganza. Redford snagged an Oscar nomination for the tale of two grifters trying to pull off an intricate scheme to stick it to a mob boss.

'The Way We Were' (1973)

While Jane Fonda was a frequent love interest for Redford in his movies, there was something special with him and Barbra Streisand. This throwback romance follows the relationship between an activist (Streisand) and a writer (Redford) from their college days before World War II to the effect of the Hollywood blacklist on their marriage.

'The Great Waldo Pepper' (1975)

Redford had a penchant for period films, and this drama (which also featured a young Susan Sarandon) puts the actor in the cockpit of a 1920s aerial spectacle. The title character (Redford) is a World War I flyboy who never saw combat, but as a barnstormer, Waldo finds first a rival and later a friend with a fellow ace (Bo Svenson).

'Three Days of the Condor' (1975)

Paranoia thrillers were all the rage in the '70s, and Redford headlined one of the best. He plays a CIA analyst working out of a secret New York City office who comes back from lunch to find all of his co-workers murdered. A cat-and-mouse chase unfolds and he takes a woman (Faye Dunaway) hostage in his journey to survive and unlock a conspiracy.

'All the President's Men' (1976)

There's no better journalism movie than this political thriller digging into the Watergate scandal and fall of President Richard Nixon. Why it works so well is the teaming of Redford and Dustin Hoffman as Woodward and Bernstein, dogged Washington Post reporters who work their sources and "follow the money" to break one heck of a story.

'The Natural' (1984)

Up-and-coming baseball player Roy Hobbs (Redford) looks to be a hall of famer until a woman shoots him and he disappears. The comeback comes nearly 20 years later and is truly sweet, and Redford's leading-man swagger turns to majesty as Roy uses his "Wonderboy" bat to create an indelible image of sports-movie magic.

'The Old Man & the Gun' (2018)

"Avengers: Endgame" might have been technically his final big-screen role a year later, but "Old Man" was a satisfying swan song for an absolute legend. Redford plays an aging bank robber and escape artist who can’t quite quit the criminal life, and even gets to ride a horse – a fitting bookend for a inimitable Hollywood career.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: From 'The Sting' to 'The Natural,' Robert Redford's iconic movie roles

Reporting by Brian Truitt, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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