The star died of natural causes in Stony Brook, New York.
Robertson won an Academy Award in 1968 for his portrayal of a mentally disabled man in Charly, an adaptation of the novel Flowers for Algernon.
He was personally picked by John F. Kennedy to play the politician in the biographical 1963 film PT-109, and also racked up credits in films including Gidget, Three Days of the Condor, Obsession and Autumn Leaves.
In later years, he found a new generation of fans playing Uncle Ben Parker in the Spider-Man film franchise.
Rob Lowe has taken to his Twitter.com page to pay tribute to the star, who played his onscreen dad in the 1983 movie Class.
Lowe writes, “Goodbye to my father in ‘Class’, the great Oscar winner Cliff Robertson. Lovely man, fantastic actor and full of… Class.”
Meanwhile, Robertson’s daughter tells the Associated Press, “My father was a loving father, devoted friend, dedicated professional and honourable man. He stood by his family, friends, and colleagues through good times and bad. We will all miss him terribly.”
