Mark Ruffalo Shares Heartfelt Letter He Wrote to Robert Redford but Never Sent

The "Now You See Me" star shared the letter on social media shortly after news of the Hollywood legend's passing broke. The pair worked together in the 2001 film, "The Last Castle."

Mark Ruffalo is mourning the loss of his hero, Robert Redford. The critically acclaimed actor passed away in his sleep on Tuesday morning, September 16, 2025, at his home in Utah. He was 89.

Ruffalo took to Instagram to honor and remember Redford in a touching tribute. He shared screenshots of the letter he had written to the Hollywood giant, but lost the chance to send before he died.

"This was a letter I had written to Robert Redford when I learned he was ill," Ruffalo wrote in the caption of his post. "I didn't get it to him before the news today. This is what a real American Hero looks like."

"A man who brought people together, lived and practiced empathy, and created good and useful organizations that made peoples lives better and included anyone who had an interest," he continued. "Please remember him well."

Ruffalo worked alongside Redford in the 2001 prison drama, "The Last Castle." The film follows Redford's character, a military officer sentenced to serve time at a military prison overseen by a corrupt and sadistic warden. Ruffalo portrayed another prisoner in the movie.

In his letter, he began by recounting a book reading he had organized of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein's 1974 nonfiction "All the President's Men." The event was a fundraiser to save an old church and a performing arts center.

Ruffalo reflected on the profound significance of the book — later adapted into a film starring Redford in 1976 — and how it resonates with the current global and political climate.

"You have had the most profound impact on my life and career in so many ways. You have been a hero of mine," Ruffalo wrote, in part. "I told you before. The short time together we had on 'The Last Castle' was seminal to me."

"To be acting opposite of you. To have you be so generous with me. I felt so safe with you and looked after," he continued. "Thank you for being my teacher and my role model. Your mark on the world has been meaningful and profound, and I just wanted you to know that coming from me humbly."