Robert Redford, Dead at 89: The Legacy of a Hollywood Star Well Beyond His Movies

Every winter, the best and brightest of independent cinema travel to the freezing town of Park City, in the state of Utah, to exhibit their projects at the Sundance Film Festival, one of the many projects created by Hollywood superstar Robert Redford, who died at 89 years old in the place he made a magnet for film lovers.

Cindi Berger, chief executive of the publicity firm Rogers & Cowan PMK, confirmed the news to Variety.

"Robert Redford passed away on September 16, 2025, at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah, the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved," Cindi Berger, chief executive of the publicity firm Rogers & Cowan PMK, said in a statement to Variety. "He will be missed greatly. The family requests privacy."

The Oscar-winning actor, director, and activist leaves a career that defined generations of American cinema while shaping global conversations about the environment and social justice. His death marks the passing of not only a Hollywood icon but also one of the most influential cultural figures of the past half-century.

A new kind of leading man

Redford's career began in television during the 1960s, but his breakthrough came with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), where he played the charming outlaw opposite Paul Newman. Their chemistry carried over to The Sting (1973), which won the Academy Award for Best Picture and cemented Redford as one of the era's biggest stars. With his golden hair, intense gaze, and understated style, he became a symbol of a new kind of leading man, less theatrical than his predecessors, yet magnetic in his naturalism.

Throughout the 1970s, Redford dominated the box office, starring in The Way We Were (1973), The Great Gatsby (1974), and All the President's Men (1976). The latter, in which he portrayed Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward, showcased his deep interest in politics and truth-telling, foreshadowing the activist role he would embrace outside of film.

Redford wasn't content to remain only in front of the camera. In 1980, he made his directorial debut with Ordinary People, a searing family drama that won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. It marked the beginning of a second chapter in his careeer, one that revealed his instinct for intimate, human storytelling. Later films like A River Runs Through It (1992) and Quiz Show (1994) blended lyrical beauty with moral inquiry.

Beyond Hollywood

Yet Redford's legacy transcends Hollywood. In 1981, he founded the Sundance Institute, designed to support independent filmmakers who often struggled to find financing or distribution in the shadow of major studios.

The Sundance Film Festival became the world's premier showcase for independent cinema, launching the careers of Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Ava DuVernay, and countless others. Redford's commitment to indie film changed the industry forever, democratizing cinema in ways that endure today.

Equally important was his environmental activism. Redford was a lifelong advocate for conservation, inspired by childhood trips to Yosemite and early exposure to the American West. He served as a trustee of the Natural Resources Defense Council and spoke out against drilling in Alaska, climate inaction, and the destruction of Indigenous lands. In 2005, alongside his son James, he co-founded the Redford Center, a nonprofit using storytelling to advance environmental justice.

His activism was not celebrity window dressing, as it was woven into his identity. Redford often described himself as "an actor by trade, an activist at heart." He combined the two, using cinema as a vehicle for political and ecological awareness, whether dramatizing investigative journalism in All the President's Men or producing documentaries on global warming.

Redford also endured personal tragedies that shaped his compassion. His first son, Scott, died of sudden infant death syndrome at just two months old. His son Jamie, a filmmaker and activist, died in 2020 after battling liver cancer. Despite immense fame, Redford largely protected his family's privacy, retreating to his ranch in Utah where he cultivated both his art and environmental causes.

In his later years, Redford remained a commanding presence on screen. He delivered a nearly wordless performance in All Is Lost (2013), playing a sailor stranded at sea, and appeared as a political heavyweight in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014). His self-declared final acting role came in The Old Man & the Gun (2018), where he portrayed a charming career criminal, a fitting swan song for a man who embodied both rebellion and grace.

Originally published on Latin Times

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Robert Redford, Celebrity deaths, Film