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Robert Redford reflected on the shockwaves that swept through the Sundance Film Festival this week after the death of actor Heath Ledger, recalling a similar response after the near-death of another famous actor decades earlier.
"When I was at the Oscars years ago with Ordinary People, the day we were going to have the Oscars, Ronald Reagan was shot. And that put kind of a damper on the awards," he said.
Reagan, a former actor who was United States President at the time of the shooting, eventually recovered from the 1981 assassination attempt.
Authorities suspect a possible drug overdose in the case of Ledger.
Redford, who founded Sundance 30 years ago, noted that part of what Ledger will be remembered for was his work in independent films. Ledger had appeared in two Sundance films, 1997's Blackrock and 1999's Two Hands.
