Oscar-winning actor, director, and Sundance founder Robert Redford passed away peacefully at his Utah home.
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The golden-haired movie star, who became one of Hollywood’s most influential figures both on and off screen, died early Tuesday morning at his home in the mountains outside Provo, Utah. He was 89.
His death was announced by Cindi Berger, chief executive of Rogers & Cowan PMK publicity firm. She said Redford died peacefully in his sleep at “the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved,” though no specific cause was provided.
A Career Spanning Decades
Born Charles Robert Redford Jr. on August 18, 1936, in Santa Monica, California, Redford rose from a troubled youth to become one of cinema’s most enduring stars. His breakthrough came with “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” (1969), where his chemistry with co-star Paul Newman captivated audiences worldwide. The duo reunited for “The Sting” (1973), which earned Redford his only Oscar nomination as an actor.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Redford starred in critically acclaimed films including “All the President’s Men” (1976), where he portrayed Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward in the Watergate investigation, and “Out of Africa” (1985) opposite Meryl Streep. His romantic leading man status was enhanced by memorable partnerships with Jane Fonda in “Barefoot in the Park” (1967) and Barbra Streisand in “The Way We Were” (1973).
Transition to Directing
In 1980, Redford made his directorial debut with “Ordinary People,” a deeply personal drama about family tragedy that reflected his own experience with loss. The film won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Redford. He continued directing with “Quiz Show” (1994), which received four Oscar nominations, and “A River Runs Through It” (1992).
Sundance Legacy
Perhaps Redford’s most lasting contribution to cinema was his founding of the Sundance Institute in 1981 and his transformation of a struggling Utah Film Festival into the globally renowned Sundance Film Festival. The festival became a launching pad for independent filmmakers, nurturing talents including Steven Soderbergh, Quentin Tarantino, Darren Aronofsky, and Ava DuVernay.
Despite the festival’s commercial success, growing from a few hundred attendees in the early 1980s to more than 85,000 in 2025, Redford remained critical of its commercialisation, famously declaring his desire for “ambush marketers” and celebrity culture to “go away forever.”
Environmental Activism
Beyond entertainment, Redford was a pioneering environmental activist, serving as a trustee of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) for five decades. He successfully campaigned against highway construction in Utah canyons and blocked coal-fired power plant development, sometimes facing local backlash that included residents burning him in effigy.
Jane Alexander, his co-star in both “All the President’s Men” and “Brubaker,” highlighted Redford’s environmental work: “Most of all, he did more for environmental causes than anyone I knew through the NRDC. We bonded on that, a love of the West, and chocolate.”
Personal Life and Later Years
Redford’s personal life was marked by both triumph and tragedy. His first marriage to Lola Van Wagenen produced four children, including son Scott, who died of sudden infant death syndrome at two and a half months. His son Jamie died of cancer in 2020 at age 58, following two liver transplants. In 2009, he married German artist Sibylle Szaggars.
Financial challenges in later years included failed business ventures and the sale of his stake in the Sundance Channel. However, he continued acting into his 80s, with notable late-career performances in “All Is Lost” (2013) and “The Old Man and the Gun” (2018), his final acting role.
Industry Tributes
Following news of his death, tributes poured in from Hollywood colleagues.
Barbra Streisand called him “charismatic, intelligent, intense, always interesting” and “one of the finest actors ever,” recalling their collaboration on “The Way We Were.”
Jane Fonda, visibly moved by his death, said: “I can’t stop crying. He meant a lot to me and was a beautiful person in every way. He stood for an America we have to keep fighting for.”
Meryl Streep called him “a lovely friend,” adding that “one of the lions has passed.”
Morgan Freeman, who worked with Redford in “Brubaker” (1980), said they “instantly became friends,” while Ron Howard praised Redford as “a tremendously influential cultural figure” whose Sundance festival “supercharged America’s independent film movement.”
Timothy Hutton, who won an Oscar in Redford’s directorial debut “Ordinary People,” remembered him as someone who “held quite a light” for young actors. Elizabeth McGovern recalled how Redford scheduled her scenes on weekends so she could attend Juilliard during the week, calling him “the kind of caring person he was.”
Career Highlights
Redford’s filmography spanned decades of American cinema:
As Actor: His starred in “Barefoot in the Park” (1967) with Jane Fonda, showcasing his comedic gifts. “The Candidate” (1972) proved prophetic in its political commentary, while “Three Days of the Condor” (1975) epitomised the paranoid thriller genre. Later career highlights included the survival drama “All Is Lost” (2013) and his final starring role in “The Old Man & the Gun” (2018).
As Director: Beyond “Ordinary People,” he helmed “Quiz Show” (1994), exploring American honesty and corruption, and “The Horse Whisperer” (1998), which he also starred in alongside Kristin Scott Thomas and a young Scarlett Johansson.
Producer and Advocate: Redford used his Hollywood clout to bring “All the President’s Men” to screen, playing Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward in the Watergate investigation drama.
A Lasting Legacy
Redford’s death marks the end of an era in American cinema. Through his performances, direction, and cultivation of independent filmmaking, he helped America understand itself while fostering new generations of storytellers. His commitment to serious subjects, environmental causes, and artistic integrity created a model of celebrity engagement that transcended entertainment.
Marlee Matlin, noting how Sundance helped bring “CODA” to Hollywood attention, summed up the industry’s loss simply: “A genius has passed.”
Robert Redford leaves behind not just a catalogue of memorable films, but an institutional legacy through Sundance that will continue shaping American cinema for generations to come.
Redford is survived by his wife, Sibylle; daughters Shauna Redford Schlosser and Amy Redford; and seven grandchildren.
Featured image: Getty Images
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