Robert Redford, the Oscar-winning actor, director, and pioneering advocate for independent film and environmental causes, has died at the age of 89.
His publicist, Cindi Berger, confirmed that Redford passed away on September 16, 2025, at his home in the mountains of Sundance, Utah. “Robert Redford passed away at the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved. He will be missed greatly,” Berger said in a statement.
Redford became one of Hollywood’s most beloved and charismatic stars through iconic roles in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), The Sting (1973), and All the President’s Men (1976). He later stepped behind the camera to direct films such as Ordinary People—which earned him an Academy Award for Best Director—A River Runs Through It, and Quiz Show.
In 1981, Redford founded the Sundance Institute, laying the foundation for what would become the Sundance Film Festival, the premier platform for American independent cinema. The festival launched the careers of countless filmmakers, including Steven Soderbergh, Quentin Tarantino, and Ryan Coogler.
A lifelong environmentalist, Redford was a passionate advocate for the protection of the American West, climate action, and Indigenous rights. He moved to Utah in 1961 and remained a committed conservationist throughout his life.
Born in Santa Monica in 1936, Redford faced early adversity, losing his mother during college. After studying art in Europe and working various jobs, he found his way to acting. His breakout role came on Broadway in Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park (1963), later adapted into a hit film opposite Jane Fonda.
In his later years, Redford continued acting, reuniting with Fonda in Netflix’s Our Souls at Night (2017) and appearing in The Old Man & the Gun (2018), which he said would be his final screen role. He remained deeply involved in environmental and artistic initiatives into his later years.
Redford’s personal life was marked by both deep love and loss. He and his first wife, historian Lola Van Wagenen, had four children. Their first son, Scott, died in infancy, and their son David, a filmmaker and activist, passed away from cancer in 2020. In 2009, Redford married artist Sibylle Szaggars, with whom he spent his final years.
Honored with an honorary Oscar in 2002 for his enduring impact on cinema, Redford’s legacy lives on not only in his films, but in the generations of storytellers and environmental stewards he inspired.
He is survived by his wife, Sibylle Szaggars Redford, daughters Shauna and Amy, and seven grandchildren.
