PARK CITY, UTAH – JANUARY 23: Robert Redford attends Sundance Institute’s ‘An Artist at the Table Presented by IMDbPro’ at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival on January 23, 2020 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Rich Polk/Getty Images for IMDb)
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Robert Redford, the Academy Award-winning actor, director, and founder of the Sundance Film Festival died in his sleep at his home in Utah, surrounded by family. He was 89. No cause of death was provided.
Born on August 18, 1936, in Santa Monica, California, Charles Robert Redford Jr. segued from early roles on the stage to television in 1960 in episodes of Maverick, Rescue 8, The Deputy, Playhouse 90, Tate, and Perry Mason. That same year he bowed on the big screen with an uncredited role in Tall Story, which featured his future Barefoot in the Park co-star Jane Fonda.
He originated the role of the stuffy newlywed husband in Barefoot in the Park on stage in 1963.
Redford made his official film debut in War Hunt in 1964, and he found success as a leading man in films like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), Jeremiah Johnson (1972), The Candidate (1972), and the aforementioned Barefoot in the Park.
American actors Robert Redford and Jane Fonda in a promotional portrait for ‘Barefoot In The Park’, directed by Gene Saks, 1967. (Photo by Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images)
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In 1973, Redford received an Academy Award nomination for The Sting, which also featured Paul Newman and was named Best Picture. And his acting film resume also included The Way We Were (1973) opposite Barbra Streisand, Three Days of the Condor (1975), All the President’s Men (1976), and The Electric Horseman (1979), again with Jane Fonda.
Actors Paul Newman (right) and Robert Redford appear on the poster for the Universal Pictures film ‘The Sting’, 1973. The film was directed by George Roy Hill. (Photo by Movie Poster Image Art/Getty Images)
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Behind the Camera
In 1980, Redford made his directorial debut with Ordinary People, the family drama that won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Timothy Hutton) and Best Director for Redford. He would go on to direct several other acclaimed films, including A River Runs Through It (1992) and Quiz Show (1994).
(Original Caption) Donald Sutherland and Mary Tyler Moore are shown in a scene from their movie, Ordinary People directed by Robert Redford and released by Paramount Pictures. They are shown conversing closely to each other. Sutherland and Moore attempt to pick up the pieces of their shattered life after a major tragedy by planning a holiday trip to London in this Paramount Picture’s release, a Wildwood Enterprises Production.
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Champion of Independent Film
Perhaps Redford’s most lasting legacy lies in his championing of independent cinema. In 1981, he founded the Sundance Institute, which later morphed into the Sundance Film Festival, and is now one of the most influential platforms for independent filmmakers in the world.
Through Sundance, Redford helped launch the careers of countless directors and actors, providing a much-needed alternative to Hollywood’s blockbuster-driven model.
Outside of Film
Beyond the screen, Redford was a lifelong environmentalist, political activist, and philanthropist. He used his fame to advocate for causes he believed in, from conservation efforts to civil liberties.
Despite his fame, Redford often shunned the spotlight. He remained intensely private, preferring a quiet life in the mountains of Utah to the glitz of Hollywood.
Redford is survived by his wife, Sibylle Szaggars, daughters Shauna and Amy, and grandchildren.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/marcberman1/2025/09/16/robert-redford-oscar-winning-actor-director-and-sundance-founder-dies-at-89/
