ROBERT Redford starred in some of the most critically-acclaimed and commercially successful movies of all time.
His publicist said the Hollywood legend passed away in his sleep at the age of 89 on the morning of September 16, 2025.
Robert Redford died away surrounded by loved ones at his home in the mountains outside Provo, Utah.
His publicist Cindi Berger released a statement saying: “He will be missed greatly. The family requests privacy.”
Who was Robert Redford?
Robert Redford was born in Santa Monica, California, on August 18, 1936.
After graduating from high school he attended the University of Colorado for a year and a half before he was kicked out.
He travelled in Europe before studying painting in New York City, and went on to take acting classes at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
His first acting roles were on stage, with Redford making his Broadway debut in 1959 with a small part in Tall Story.
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From 1960 he began starring in TV shows, earning an Emmy nomination for his performance in The Voice Of Charlie Pont.
However, it was his starring movie roles that made Redford a global icon, winning a Golden Globe for best new star for 1965’s In Daisy Clover.
His performance in Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid catapulted him into superstardom, and he went on to star in a series of blockbuster movies, winning a Best Actor Oscar nomination in 1973 for The Sting.
Redford has also become a hugely acclaimed director, winning the Academy Award for Best Director for 1980’s Ordinary People, which also scooped Best Picture.
He received another Oscar, a lifetime achievement award, in 2002, and was recognised with a Presidential Medal of Freedom by Barack Obama in 2016.
In 1981, the screen legend founded the Sundance Institute, named after his iconic character in the movie which made him a global star.
The non-profit organisation is committed to the support and growth of independent artists, and spawned the massively successful Sundance Film Festival which takes place in Utah every year.
Redford’s role in championing independent film saw him labelled The Godfather of Indie Film by Time magazine, who named him one of the Most Influential People in the World in 2014.
Away from the screen, Redford is an avid environmentalist and a supporter of Native American and LGBT rights.
On August 6, 2018, the icon announced he was officially retiring from acting after the release of crime comedy The Old Man & the Gun.
Redford was declared The Godfather of Indie Film by Time Magazine[/caption]
What are Robert Redford’s biggest movies?
In his long, illustrious film career Redford has starred in and directed some of Hollywood’s biggest movies of all time:
- Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969)
- Jeremiah Johnson (1972)
- The Sting (1973)
- All The President’s Men (1976)
- A Bridge Too Far (1977)
- Ordinary People (director – 1980)
- Brubaker (1980)
- Out Of Africa (1985)
- A River Runs Through It (1992)
- Quiz Show (director – 1995)
- Spy Game (2001)
- Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
- A Walk In The Woods (2015)
- Earth: One Amazing Day (narrator – 2018)
- Avengers: Endgame (2018)
Redford has become a hugely successful director, winning an Oscar in 1980[/caption]
Did Robert Redford ever date Jane Fonda?
Redford played the love interest of fellow Hollywood icon Jane Fonda in several movies, with the duo sharing some steamy on-screen moments.
However, despite their sizzling chemistry, the acting legends have never dated in real life, despite Fonda cheekily admitting in 2017 that she “lives for sex scenes with him”.
She told the Venice Film Festival: “He’s a great kisser, so it was fun to kiss him in my 20s and to kiss him again in my almost 80s.”
Redford and Fonda have played lovers in The Chase, Barefoot In The Park, The Electric Horseman and 2017’s Netflix romantic drama Our Souls At Night.
Redford has shared some memorable on-screen romances with Jane Fonda[/caption]
Who was Robert Redford’s wife?
Redford married Lola Van Wagenen, who dropped out of college to tie the knot with the actor, in 1958 at her grandmother’s home.
Lola became a historian and environmental activist – but the pair divorced in 1985.
Redford married his second wife, longtime partner Sibylle Szaggars, in July 2009 in Hamburg.
How many children does Robert Redford have?
Robert and Lola had four children together – two boys and two girls.
Their first, Scott Anthony, suffered sudden infant death syndrome, passing away at just two-and-a-half months old in 1959.
Shauna Jean was welcomed on November 15, 1960, before David James was born May 5, 1962.
But James died on October 17, 2020, after a long battle with liver cancer.
Robert and Lola’s youngest Amy Hart was born on October 22, 1970, and is an actress, director and producer like her father.
Robert also has seven grandchildren.
