Legendary Actor Robert Redford Passes Away at 89
Robert Redford, the Oscar-winning actor, director, and environmental advocate who became one of Hollywood’s most enduring icons before championing independent cinema, has died at the age of 89.
His publicist, Cindi Berger, confirmed that Redford passed away on September 16, 2025, at his home in Sundance, Utah. “Robert Redford passed away at the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved. He will be deeply missed,” she said in a statement.
Redford’s career soared with timeless classics such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), The Sting (1973), and All the President’s Men (1976). As a filmmaker, he earned critical acclaim, winning the Academy Award for Best Director with Ordinary People and later directing films like A River Runs Through It and Quiz Show.
In 1981, he founded the Sundance Institute, which went on to revolutionize American independent filmmaking. The Sundance Film Festival became a launchpad for visionary directors including Steven Soderbergh, Quentin Tarantino, and Ryan Coogler.
A dedicated conservationist, Redford moved to Utah in 1961 and became a strong voice for protecting the American West. His activism extended to climate change, land preservation, and Native American rights.
Born in Santa Monica in 1936, Redford’s early life was shaped by both hardship and creativity. He lost his mother while still in college, drifted through odd jobs, and studied art in Europe before turning to acting in New York. His breakthrough came on Broadway in Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park (1963), which he later reprised on film with Jane Fonda.
In later years, Redford continued to act, notably reuniting with Jane Fonda in Netflix’s Our Souls at Night (2017) and starring in The Old Man & the Gun (2018), which he said would be his final acting role. He remained active in environmental advocacy until his last years.
Redford’s life was also marked by personal triumphs and tragedies. His first marriage to Lola Van Wagenen produced four children, though their first son, Scott, died in infancy. His son David, a filmmaker and activist, died of cancer in 2020. Redford married artist Sibylle Szaggars in 2009, with whom he shared his later years.
Honored with an honorary Oscar in 2002 for his contributions to film, Redford’s legacy endures not only in cinema but in the independent filmmakers he championed and the natural landscapes he fought to protect.
He is survived by his wife, Sibylle Szaggars Redford, daughters Shauna and Amy, and seven grandchildren.
