Robert Redford, Hollywood icon and champion of Independent Film, dies at 89

Robert Redford, the legendary actor, director, and activist whose golden-boy charm defined an era of Hollywood, has died at 89. Redford passed away on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, at his beloved home in Sundance, Utah, surrounded by family.

“It was the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved. He will be missed greatly,” his longtime representative Cindi Berger said in a statement. His family has requested privacy.

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A Career That Defined Hollywood Cool

For more than six decades, Redford was the face of American cinema, effortlessly blending rugged charisma with emotional depth. His on-screen partnerships became the stuff of legend: riding alongside Paul Newman in “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” (1969), hustling cons in “The Sting” (1973), navigating star-crossed romance with Barbra Streisand in “The Way We Were” (1973), and exposing political corruption with Dustin Hoffman in “All the President’s Men” (1976).

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 His subtle intensity, easy smile, and trademark sun-bleached hair made him the quintessential leading man of the 1970s. Yet, despite his fame, he consistently chose roles that challenged the establishment and illuminated the times.

A Visionary Behind the Camera

Redford’s talents stretched well beyond acting. In 1981, he won the Academy Award for Best Director with his searing debut, “Ordinary People,” proving he was as gifted behind the lens as in front of it. He later directed critically acclaimed works, including “A River Runs Through It” (1992), which launched Brad Pitt into stardom.

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But perhaps his most enduring legacy lies in what he built for others. Also in 1981, Redford founded the Sundance Institute, designed to nurture emerging filmmakers, playwrights, and composers. Out of that vision came the Sundance Film Festival, which transformed into the world’s premier showcase for independent film.

From Quentin Tarantino to Steven Soderbergh, Kevin Smith to Darren Aronofsky, generations of filmmakers owe their first big breaks to Sundance and Redford’s belief in storytelling outside the Hollywood machine.

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More Than an Actor

Off-screen, Redford was relentless in using his platform for good. A lifelong environmentalist, he moved to Utah in 1961 and became one of the American West’s fiercest advocates, working to preserve public lands and raise awareness about climate change.

He was also outspoken in his support of LGBTQ rights and social justice causes. His activism was never performative as he consistently put his money, time, and energy behind the issues he cared about.

A Life Fully Lived

Even as he aged, Redford never stopped working. He reunited with Jane Fonda for Netflix’s “Our Souls at Night” in 2017 and starred in “The Old Man & the Gun” in 2018, which he suggested would be his final acting role. “To me, retirement means stopping something or quitting something,” he told CBS at the time. “There’s this life to lead, why not live it as much as you can as long as you can?”

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In 2020, amid devastating wildfires, Redford penned an op-ed urging America not to ignore the climate crisis. That same year, he endured profound personal tragedy when his son David, a filmmaker and activist like his father, died of cancer at 58.

An Enduring Legacy

Robert Redford was not only a Hollywood star; he was a cultural force who expanded what movies could mean and what artists could do. His boyish good looks may have made him a star, but it was his vision, integrity, and generosity that made him immortal.

He leaves behind a body of work that shaped cinema, a festival that continues to launch bold voices, and a legacy of activism that will inspire generations.

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Robert Redford lived, worked, and fought for what mattered. And in doing so, he made sure the world was better than he found it.