Robert Redford has added his tribute to revered newsman Ben Bradlee, following the news of the former Washington Post editor's death.

The movie star, who portrayed Post reporter Bob Woodward - opposite Jason Robards' Bradlee - in 1976 thriller All The President's Men, has issued a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, calling the acclaimed editor-in-chief "unique in a world of so much conventional wisdom".

Alongside Dustin Hoffman, Redford and Robards chronicled the events leading up to the Watergate scandal that led to President Nixon's resignation.

Redford writes, "Ben Bradlee was an intriguing man. Bold, strong willed, and smart with a wicked and sometimes perverse sense of humor. He was unique in a world of so much conventional wisdom. With a sailor’s swagger and a tart tongue to match, he forged a new type of character as Editor-in-Chief of a newspaper in a time of change.

"It was a world I never expected was possible from just a newspaper. It was 1974, and Watergate was about to happen. To Bradlee combat was sport and he was a very good sport. His favorite line in challenging his journalists was: 'Where's the story? There has got to be a story - without that we don’t print'. He made contest fun."

Bradlee died on Tuesday (21Oct14), aged 93.