Robert Redford – two-time Oscar winner, beloved actor of The Way We Were and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, acclaimed director of Ordinary People and Quiz Show, and founder of the Sundance Institute – has died at 89.
“Robert Redford passed away on September 16, 2025, at his home at Sundance in Utah, surrounded by those he loved,” publicist Cindi Berger confirmed. He died in his sleep; no cause was given.
With his boyish charm and signature blond looks, Redford’s career spanned six decades. He won five Golden Globes, the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award, Kennedy Center Honors, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. His defining roles included The Sting, All the President’s Men, The Natural, and Out of Africa.
Born Charles Robert Redford Jr. in 1936, he overcame early struggles and personal tragedy – including the death of his mother when he was 18 and later, the loss of two sons. After early stage success, he shot to stardom with Barefoot in the Park and became one of the most bankable stars of the 1970s.
He turned to directing with Ordinary People (1980), which won Best Picture and Best Director. Later films included A River Runs Through It, The Horse Whisperer, and The Legend of Bagger Vance. Even in his 80s, he appeared in Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Netflix’s Our Souls at Night with Jane Fonda.
Beyond Hollywood, Redford left a lasting legacy as a champion of independent film through the Sundance Institute and Film Festival, and as a passionate environmental activist.
He is survived by his wife, Sibylle Szaggars, two daughters, and seven grandchildren.
When asked late in life what advice he’d give his younger self, Redford reflected: “Always look for the truth, even though truths can be elusive. Just follow your instincts and keep searching for it.”
