Robert Redford, the charismatic Hollywood leading man who captivated audiences with his roles in timeless classics like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President’s Men, and who revolutionized independent filmmaking as the founder of the Sundance Institute, died Tuesday at his home in the mountains of Utah. He was 89.
Redford passed away peacefully in his sleep at his beloved Sundance residence, surrounded by family, according to a statement from his publicist, Cindi Berger, chairman and CEO of Rogers & Cowan PMK. No specific cause of death was disclosed, but the family has requested privacy during this time.
Born Charles Robert Redford Jr. on August 18, 1936, in Santa Monica, California, Redford’s journey to stardom was marked by a blend of athletic prowess, artistic ambition, and a deep commitment to environmental and social causes. A former baseball prospect and University of Colorado student, he turned to acting after a stint in Europe and studies at the Pratt Institute and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Redford’s breakthrough came in the late 1960s, when his portrayal of the Sundance Kid alongside Paul Newman’s Butch Cassidy in the 1969 Western catapulted him to international fame. The film, a box-office phenomenon, not only showcased his effortless charm and piercing blue eyes but also inspired the name of the Sundance Film Festival, which Redford founded in 1981 to nurture emerging filmmakers. The duo reunited for the 1973 con-artist caper The Sting, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture and earned Redford his sole acting Oscar nomination.
His filmography reads like a highlight reel of American cinema’s golden era: the idealistic journalist Bob Woodward in All the President’s Men (1976), the stoic mountaineer in Jeremiah Johnson (1972), and the enigmatic spy in Three Days of the Condor (1975). Behind the camera, Redford’s directorial debut, Ordinary People (1980), won him the Academy Award for Best Director, cementing his reputation as a multifaceted talent. He later helmed acclaimed films such as A River Runs Through It (1992), Quiz Show (1994), and The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000), often exploring themes of family, integrity, and the American landscape.
Over his six-decade career, Redford amassed an Academy Award, a BAFTA, five Golden Globes—including the Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement award in 1994—and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016 from President Barack Obama. In 2002, he received an honorary Oscar for his contributions to film. Even in his later years, he continued acting, reuniting with longtime friend Jane Fonda in the 2017 Netflix drama Our Souls at Night and starring in The Old Man & the Gun (2018), which he initially announced as his final role—though he later reconsidered retirement.
Beyond the screen, Redford was a passionate environmentalist and political activist, using his platform to advocate for conservation and liberal causes. The Sundance Institute became a cornerstone of independent cinema, launching the careers of directors like Quentin Tarantino and the Duplass brothers. “Sundance was his life’s work,” Berger said in her statement. “He believed in stories that matter.”
Redford’s personal life was touched by profound joys and sorrows. He was married to Lola Van Wagenen from 1958 to 1985, with whom he had four children: Shauna, James (David), Amy, and Scott, who tragically died of sudden infant death syndrome at 2½ months old in 1959. His son James, a documentary filmmaker and environmental activist, passed away from cancer in 2020 at age 58. Redford remarried artist Sibylle Szaggars in 2009. He is survived by Szaggars, daughters Shauna and Amy, and grandchildren.
Tributes poured in swiftly from across Hollywood and beyond. Meryl Streep called him “one of the lions who has passed,” while Jane Fonda shared memories of their enduring friendship and collaborations. President Donald Trump, upon hearing the news, remarked on Redford’s impact during a brief encounter with reporters. A post on Redford’s official Instagram confirmed the news, echoing the family’s request for privacy.
Redford’s legacy endures not just in the films he made, but in the artists he championed and the causes he fought for—a true icon of American culture whose quiet intensity and unwavering principles defined generations.