What's Inside?
- Robert Redford, Oscar-winning actor and director, passes away at 89 after six decades of shaping Hollywood and global cinema.
- Founder of Sundance Institute and Festival, he revolutionized independent filmmaking, launching careers of groundbreaking directors and storytellers.
- Beyond film, Redford was a lifelong environmentalist and activist, honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his cultural impact.
Robert Redford, the golden-haired actor who became one of Hollywood’s most enduring icons and later reshaped the film industry as founder of the Sundance Institute, has died at the age of 89. His publicist Cindi Berger confirmed the news, saying Redford “passed away on September 16, 2025, at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah — the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved. He will be missed greatly. The family requests privacy.”
Robert Redford’s Career: From Golden Boy to Hollywood Powerhouse
Robert Redford’s rise was the kind of story that only Hollywood could produce. Born in Santa Monica in 1936, he started with modest theater roles before catching the eye of audiences on television in the late 1950s. His breakout came in the 1969 Western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, where his partnership with Paul Newman electrified screens. The film not only launched Redford into superstardom but gave him the nickname “Sundance,” which he carried into his most enduring legacy.
Throughout the 1970s and ’80s, Redford dominated box offices with films such as The Sting, The Way We Were, Three Days of the Condor, and All the President’s Men. He had what critics called a rare mix of charm and steel— a leading man with matinee idol looks but an undercurrent of rebelliousness. His performances were magnetic not because they were flashy, but because of what he held back.
Redford’s talents were not limited to acting. In 1980, he made his directorial debut with Ordinary People, a haunting portrait of a fractured family. The film won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and earned him the Oscar for Best Director. His later directing credits, such as A River Runs Through It and Quiz Show, further showed his gift for intimate storytelling.
Even in his later years, Redford never abandoned the screen entirely. He appeared in films such as The Old Man & the Gun (2018) and made memorable turns in blockbuster fare like Avengers: Endgame (2019). He often joked about retirement but never fully stepped away, insisting that art and activism were parts of his life he couldn’t simply stop.
Robert Redford and Sundance: Champion of Independent Film
While his acting career alone would have secured his place in cinematic history, Redford’s true legacy may rest with the Sundance Institute, which he founded in 1981. What began as a small workshop for young filmmakers in Utah grew into the Sundance Film Festival, the premier showcase for independent film in the United States.
“I didn’t want to do it in New York or LA,” Redford told BBC in 2014. “I said, let’s put it in Utah, let’s make it hard to get to. Let’s make it weird.” That gamble paid off. Sundance became the birthplace of modern indie cinema, launching the careers of Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Ryan Coogler, and countless others.
Actor Marlee Matlin summed up Sundance’s influence when she wrote on X: “Our film, CODA, came to the attention of everyone because of Sundance. Sundance happened because of Robert Redford. A genius has passed. RIP Robert.”
Our film, CODA, came to the attention of everyone because of Sundance. And Sundance happened because of Robert Redford. A genius has passed. RIP Robert. pic.twitter.com/nwttVD1GvL
— Marlee Matlin (@MarleeMatlin) September 16, 2025
Redford was also a passionate environmentalist and political activist. He championed causes from protecting Alaska’s Arctic Wildlife Refuge to speaking out on climate change and civil liberties. In 2016, President Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, honoring both his artistry and his advocacy.
