Robert Redford, the Academy Award-winning actor, director, and founder of the Sundance Film Festival, has died at age 89. Redford passed away on Sept. 16, 2025, at his home near Sundance in the Utah mountains, according to his longtime publicist Cindi Berger. “He will be missed greatly,” Berger said in a statement, adding that Redford died in his sleep and was surrounded by family.
Born in Santa Monica, California, in 1936, Redford began his career on Broadway before breaking into television in the early 1960s. His rise to international fame came with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), where he played the outlaw Sundance opposite Paul Newman. The film’s success helped define him as one of Hollywood’s leading men of the 1970s.
Remembering Robert Redford and his enduring legacy
Redford’s career spanned more than six decades. He earned a Best Actor nomination for The Sting (1973), won the Best Director Oscar for Ordinary People (1980), and later received nominations for directing Quiz Show (1994). His acting credits include The Way We Were (1973), All the President’s Men (1976), The Natural (1984), Indecent Proposal (1993), The Horse Whisperer (1998), and All Is Lost (2013).
He announced plans to retire after The Old Man & the Gun (2018), though he later suggested he might not step away completely. His final screen appearance came in 2025 with a cameo in the thriller series Dark Winds.
Beyond Hollywood, Redford was an outspoken environmental advocate. He co-founded The Redford Center in 2005 to support films addressing climate change and played a central role in stopping environmentally harmful projects, beginning in the 1970s. His Sundance Institute, launched in 1981, became one of the most influential platforms for independent filmmakers worldwide.
Redford’s personal life carried both triumph and heartbreak. He and his first wife, Lola Van Wagenen, had four children, though two died young — Scott in infancy and James in 2020. He later married artist Sibylle Szaggars in 2009, with whom he shared a passion for conservation.
Reflecting on his career when accepting an honorary Oscar in 2002, Redford said: “The glory of art is that it can not only survive change, it can lead it. As an artist, I just can’t think of a better life than the one that I’ve been blessed with.”
He is survived by his wife, daughters Shauna and Amy, and several grandchildren.