Robert Redford, one of the most iconic figures of American cinema, has died at the age of 89. The legendary actor passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home in Utah on the morning of Tuesday, September 16. While the official cause of death has not been disclosed, his family confirmed that he left this world quietly and with serenity.
Redford was not only an acclaimed actor but also a director, producer, and one of the most influential advocates of independent cinema. In the 1970s, he invested much of his fortune in founding the Sundance Institute and later the Sundance Film Festival, both of which became a global platform for emerging filmmakers and groundbreaking independent films.
His career spanned a wide spectrum of genres, from romantic epics like Out of Africa to politically charged dramas such as The Candidate and All the President’s Men. He etched his name in cinema history with classics like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) and The Sting (1973), both starring alongside Paul Newman. While he never won an Oscar for acting, his directorial debut Ordinary People (1980) earned him Academy Awards for both Best Director and Best Picture.
Known for his devotion to privacy, Redford chose a quieter life away from Hollywood’s spotlight. In the 1970s, he bought land in the remote parts of Utah to live with his family. After a 25-year marriage that ended in 1985, he married German artist Sibylle Szaggars in 2009.
Born on August 18, 1939, in Santa Monica to what he described as a “working-class” family, Redford initially aspired to pursue baseball on a scholarship. After losing it, he turned to art, studying painting in Italy and later in New York. His acting career began with the low-budget Warhunt (1962), but his breakout role came with Jane Fonda in Barefoot in the Park (1967). From the 1980s onward, he increasingly dedicated himself to production and Sundance. In 2002, he received an Honorary Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement.
Robert Redford leaves behind not only an impressive body of work but also a legacy that redefined the future of independent filmmaking.