Highlights:
- Robert Redford, acclaimed actor, director, and environmental activist, has died at 89.
- Starred in more than 50 films, including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President’s Men.
- Won an Academy Award for directing Ordinary People and later founded the Sundance Film Festival.
- Advocated for independent cinema, Native American rights, and environmental causes.
Hollywood career and stardom
Robert Redford, who became one of Hollywood’s most admired actors and later a pioneering film director, appeared in more than 50 films across six decades. Known for his striking looks, critics described him as “lit from within,” though Redford often claimed his beauty was more a hindrance than an asset.
His big-screen breakthrough came in Inside Daisy Clover (1965), opposite Natalie Wood, and was followed by Barefoot in the Park (1967) with Jane Fonda. Global stardom arrived with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), alongside Paul Newman, which launched one of cinema’s most memorable partnerships.
He went on to star in The Sting (1973), The Great Gatsby (1974), The Way We Were (1973) with Barbra Streisand, and All the President’s Men (1976), cementing his status as both a box-office draw and a politically engaged artist.
From actor to director
Redford was nominated for an Academy Award for The Sting but achieved greater recognition behind the camera. His directorial debut, Ordinary People (1980), won four Oscars, including Best Director. He later directed A River Runs Through It (1992), which helped launch Brad Pitt’s career, and The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000).
In 2002, the Academy honored him with a lifetime achievement award.
Redford leaves behind a legacy as one of Hollywood’s most influential figuresGetty Images
Champion of independent film
Beyond Hollywood, Redford made a lasting impact by creating the Sundance Institute and Sundance Film Festival, which became the premier showcase for independent filmmakers. The festival helped launch the careers of directors such as Quentin Tarantino and Steven Soderbergh.
Later work and recognition
Though he announced his retirement in 2019 after Avengers: Endgame, Redford later returned for a role in the TV series Dark Winds. His later performances, including All Is Lost (2013), received widespread critical acclaim, with many calling it the finest work of his career.
Personal life
Charles Robert Redford Jr. was born in Santa Monica, California, on August 18, 1936. After a turbulent youth and a brief stint in college, he studied art in Europe before pursuing acting in New York.
He married Lola Van Wagenen in 1958, with whom he had four children. Their first son, Scott, died in infancy. The couple divorced in 1985. Redford later married German-born artist Sibylle Szaggars in 2009. His son David died in 2020 after long-term health struggles.
Activism and legacy
Redford was outspoken on environmental issues and Native American rights, often aligning his artistic choices with his liberal politics. He invested much of his wealth in land conservation, including his Utah ski resort, Sundance.
Despite his achievements, Redford often reflected on the burden of his looks, insisting he wanted to be valued for his craft. “The notion that you’re not so much an actor, you’re just somebody that looks well—that was always hard for me,” he once said.
Redford leaves behind a legacy as one of Hollywood’s most influential figures, remembered as both a magnetic screen presence and a tireless advocate for independent film.
