Robert Redford, the golden-haired icon who defined an era of Hollywood while reshaping the future of American cinema, has died at the age of 89. He passed away peacefully at his Utah home on September 16, 2025, surrounded by family.

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Redford’s passing marks the end of a remarkable career that stretched across six decades, touching nearly every corner of the film industry and leaving a legacy that goes far beyond the screen.

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Charles Robert Redford Jr. was born on August 18, 1936, in Santa Monica, California. The son of a milkman and a homemaker, he grew up with modest means and a restless imagination. After a rocky start in school and a brief stint at the University of Colorado, Redford set out to study painting in Europe before finding his way into acting.

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By the early 1960s, he was appearing on television and Broadway. But it was Hollywood that would cement his place in popular culture. His breakout role came opposite Jane Fonda in Barefoot in the Park (1967), but it was Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) that made him a superstar. Playing the charismatic outlaw alongside Paul Newman, Redford embodied a new kind of American leading man—handsome, yes, but also sly, thoughtful and vulnerable.

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“The camera loved him,” one critic once said. “But more importantly, audiences trusted him.”

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The 1970s belonged to Robert Redford. Films like The Sting (1973), The Way We Were (1973), and All the President’s Men (1976) turned him into one of the most bankable and respected actors of the decade.

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He was equally comfortable as a romantic lead, a charming trickster, or a crusading journalist. In All the President’s Men, Redford played Bob Woodward, bringing to life the real-life reporting that unraveled the Watergate scandal. The film not only won acclaim but also highlighted Redford’s deeper interest in politics and truth.

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Off-screen, Redford was famously private. He shunned Hollywood’s glitz and preferred quiet moments in nature. Still, his sun-kissed looks and serious performances made him a global star.

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In 1980, Redford stunned Hollywood again—this time as a director. His first film, Ordinary People, was a raw family drama that won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director for Redford himself.

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It was the start of a new chapter. Over the years, he would direct films like A River Runs Through It (1992) and Quiz Show (1994), both praised for their human depth and understated style.

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As a filmmaker, Redford was drawn to stories about integrity, morality, and the struggles between individuals and the systems around them.

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Perhaps Redford’s most enduring contribution was not a film at all, but a festival. In 1981, he founded the Sundance Institute and, soon after, the Sundance Film Festival.

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What began as a small gathering in the snowy mountains of Utah grew into the world’s most important stage for independent cinema. Filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh and Ava DuVernay all found early opportunities at Sundance.

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Redford’s vision was simple: give artists a place to take risks, tell their stories, and reach an audience outside the Hollywood machine. Today, Sundance stands as a living monument to that dream.

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Outside of film, Redford was a passionate environmentalist. Long before climate change became a household term, he was speaking out about conservation and sustainability. He lobbied politicians, narrated documentaries, and used his platform to urge action on behalf of the planet.

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He also created The Redford Center with his son, focusing on stories that promote environmental awareness. For Redford, protecting nature wasn’t just activism—it was deeply personal. His Utah ranch was both a retreat and a reminder of what he fought to preserve.

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Despite his fame, Redford kept much of his personal life private. He married twice—first to historian Lola Van Wagenen, with whom he had four children, and later to German artist Sibylle Szaggars. He endured tragedy as well, losing two of his children at young ages, experiences he rarely discussed publicly but that friends say shaped his quiet resilience.

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To those close to him, Redford was not the Hollywood golden boy but a painter, a storyteller and a man who sought peace in nature.

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Robert Redford once reflected, “The measure of our lives is not what we achieve, but what we give.” By that measure, he gave more than most: iconic performances, groundbreaking films, a platform for new artists, and a lifelong fight for the environment.

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His death closes a chapter in American cinema. Few actors have bridged the gap between classic Hollywood and modern film the way Redford did. Fewer still have used their celebrity to elevate others rather than themselves.

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As the lights dim on his extraordinary life, his influence will continue to shine—through the films he made, the filmmakers he nurtured and the causes he championed.

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Robert Redford, the Sundance Kid who never stopped believing in the power of stories, is gone. But his legacy will live on, reel by reel, generation after generation.

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