Robert Redford, the Oscar-winning actor and director known for classics like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Sting, has died at the age of 89.
His publicist, Cindi Berger, confirmed the news in a statement: “Robert Redford passed away on September 16 at his home in Sun dance, Utah – the place he loved – surrounded by those he loved. He will be deeply missed. The family asks for privacy.”
Redford, who co-founded the Sun dance Film Festival, won the Academy Award for Best Director in 1980 for Ordinary People. He retired from acting in 2018 after saying in 2016 that he was “tired of acting.”
Stars including Meryl Streep, Jane Fonda, and Jamie Lee Curtis have paid tribute. Strip, who starred with Redford in Out of Africa, said: “One of the lions has passed. Rest in peace, my dear friend.” Fonda, who co-starred with him in Barefoot in the Park, said: “He meant so much to me. He stood for an America we must keep fighting for.”
Curtis wrote on Threads: “A life. Family. Art. Change. Advocacy. Creation. Legacy. Thank you, Robert Redford.” Director Ron Howard called him “an extraordinarily influential cultural figure and artistic game-changer,” while actor Coleman Domingo thanked him for his “lasting impact” that would be felt for generations.
U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters: “Robert Redford had years where nobody was better. There was a time when he was the hottest. I thought he was terrific.” Hillary Clinton called him “a true American icon,” praising his work as both an artist and an advocate for progressive causes such as environmental protection and arts access.
Redford rose to stardom with the 1969 Western Butch Cassidy and the Sun dance Kid, which paired him with Paul Newman. The two reunited for The Sting in 1973, another classic, but never worked together on screen again.
Beyond acting, Redford’s biggest legacy may be the Sundance Film Festival. Founded in the 1980s, it helped launch independent films like Four Weddings and a Funeral, Precious, Manchester by the Sea, Little Miss Sunshine, The Blair Witch Project, and Get Out. “We started Sundance as a place for new artists, to create a community and give them a platform,” Redford told the BBC in 2014. “I don’t think our mission has changed.”
Sundance alumni include Oscar-winning directors Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity) and David O. Russell (American Hustle). Actress Marlee Matlin credited the festival for bringing her film CODA to global attention. It went on to win Best Picture at the 2022 Academy Awards. “A genius has passed. RIP Robert,” she wrote.
Redford’s other notable films included The Candidate, All the President’s Men, Indecent Proposal, and The Way We Were. As a director, he helmed A River Runs Through It (1992), Quiz Show (1994), and The Horse Whisperer (1998), which he also starred in alongside Scarlett Johansson and Kristin Scott Thomas.
He was also a passionate environmental activist.
According to CBS News, Redford is survived by his wife, Sibylle Szaggars, whom he married in 2009. He previously married Lola Van Wagenen, with whom he had four children. One son, Scott, died of sudden infant death syndrome at two months old. Another, James, died of cancer in 2020. He is survived by two daughters, Shauna, an artist, and Amy, a director.
