Robert Redford, Hollywood Legend and Indie Icon, Dies at 89

Robert Redford, one of Hollywood’s most famous stars and a champion of independent film, has died at the age of 89.

His publicist, Cindi Berger, said in a statement that he passed away at his home in Sundance, Utah, surrounded by his family. No cause of death was given.

Redford was a familiar face in American cinema for decades. He became a leading man in the 1960s and 70s, starring in hits like The Candidate, The Way We Were, and All the President’s Men. He worked with some of the biggest names in film, from Jane Fonda and Meryl Streep to Tom Cruise.

But perhaps his most famous partner was Paul Newman, his friend both on and off the screen. The two teamed up in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in 1969 and later in The Sting in 1973.

He didn’t only act. In 1980, he won the Academy Award for best director with Ordinary People, which also took home the prize for best picture. Over time, Redford stepped back from acting to focus more on directing and producing. Still, he returned to the screen for memorable roles like Out of Africa in 1985, the survival drama All Is Lost in 2013, and what he described as his final film, The Old Man and the Gun, in 2018.

In an interview with The Associated Press at that time, Redford said, “I just figure that I’ve had a long career that I’m very pleased with. It’s been so long, ever since I was 21. I figure now as I’m getting into my 80s, it’s maybe time to move toward retirement and spend more time with my wife and family.”

Redford also made his mark outside of acting. In the 1980s, he created the Sundance Institute and Sundance Film Festival in Utah, which grew into one of the most important platforms for independent filmmakers.

Directors like Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Darren Aronofsky got their start there.

Talking about why he started Sundance, Redford once told the AP, “For me, the word to be underscored is ‘independence.’ I’ve always believed in that word. That’s what led to me eventually wanting to create a category that supported independent artists who weren’t given a chance to be heard.”

The festival became so big that in 2025 organizers announced it would leave Park City, Utah, and move to Boulder, Colorado, starting in 2027. Redford, who had once studied at the University of Colorado Boulder, said in a statement, “Change is inevitable, we must always evolve and grow, which has been at the core of our survival.”

Beyond film, Redford cared deeply about the outdoors and the environment. He often spoke about watching Los Angeles change into a city filled with smog and highways, something that pushed him toward activism.

He supported clean air and water laws, worked on land conservation in Utah, and was a longtime board member of the Natural Resources Defense Council. His love for nature also came through in films such as A River Runs Through It.

Redford was married twice and had four children. His first son, Scott Anthony, died in infancy in 1959. Another son, James, a filmmaker and activist, passed away in 2020. He is survived by his wife, Sibylle Szaggars, and the rest of his family.

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