On Tuesday, September 16, 2025, acting legend Robert Redford died at the age of 89. His publicist confirmed that he passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home in the mountains of Utah.
Redford’s career spanned over five decades, during which he became a cinematic icon. He was celebrated for his roles in classic films such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, and All the President’s Men. His talent and charisma made him a major box-office star and a symbol of a new kind of Hollywood leading man.
Beyond his acting, Redford left an even more profound legacy as a director, producer, and a champion of independent cinema. He won an Academy Award for Best Director for his debut film, Ordinary People, and was a fierce advocate for environmental and social causes. Most notably, he founded the Sundance Institute in 1981, which grew into the internationally acclaimed Sundance Film Festival. This festival has been instrumental in launching the careers of countless independent filmmakers and has fundamentally reshaped the landscape of American cinema.
Tributes from fellow actors, directors, and fans have poured in, celebrating not only his talent and good looks but also his lasting impact on the film industry and his dedication to his artistic and social passions. His death marks the passing of one of Hollywood’s true giants.
The actor’s most recent post on his Instagram page saw him wish himself a happy birthday on 18 August.
Featuring a set of pictures of him throughout his career, he thanked fans for their support “through every step”, saying it “meant the world” and referenced his achievements from his breakout movies to receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
“Growing up working-class in Santa Monica, I faced setbacks flunking out of college, losing my mom young. I hustled through small TV roles, learned on Broadway, and took risks directing and building Sundance. Personal losses, like my son Scott’s death, taught me resilience. It was grit, passion, and a love for art that got me here.”
He added: “I’m thrilled my films, from The Sting to A River Runs Through It, have moved you, sparked conversations, or brought comfort. Sundance has given new filmmakers a voice, and my environmental work has inspired some to care for our planet. Your support makes it all worthwhile, thank you for being part of my journey.”
Redford’s other roles included The Candidate, All the President’s Men, Indecent Proposal and The Way We Were.
It was Butch Cassidy, a Western film about two risk-taking bank robbers, that made Redford an overnight star, but he was never comfortable with his tag as a good-looking heartthrob.
“People have been so busy relating to how I look, it’s a miracle I didn’t become a self-conscious blob of protoplasm. It’s not easy being Robert Redford,” he once told New York magazine.
Part of the New Hollywood film movement of the late 1960s, he teamed up again with fellow star Paul Newman – who he appeared alongside in Butch Cassidy – for crime caper The Sting in 1973, also considered a classic.
Despite their long-running friendship and on-screen chemistry, the pair never appeared on screen together again.
Redford’s biggest contribution to film was arguably Sundance Film Festival, which helped boost independent film-making in the late 80s and early 90s, to rival the period which launched his career.
Redford leaves behind his wife Sibylle Szaggars who he married in 2009, according to CBS News.
He had previously been married to Lola Van Wagenen – the couple had four children before divorcing in 1995.
One of their children, Scott, died at the age of two months from sudden infant death syndrome, CBS reports, and James, died of cancer in 2020.
He is survived by two daughters – Shauna, an artist, and Amy, a director.
