Legendary actor, Oscar winner, and Sundance quartet pioneer, Robert Redford, passes away at the age of 89.
Robert Redford, the Academy Award-winning actor, director, and founder of the Sundance Film Festival, passed away at the age of 89 in Utah. Born on August 18, 1936, in Santa Monica, California, Redford embarked on his acting career in the early 1960s, making his television debut in episodes of Maverick, Rescue 8, The Deputy, Playhouse 90, Tate, and Perry Mason. His official film debut came in 1964 with War Hunt. Redford found early success as a leading man in films like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), Jeremiah Johnson (1972), and The Candidate (1972). In 1973, he received an Academy Award nomination for The Sting. One of Redford's most significant achievements came in 1980 when he made his directorial debut with Ordinary People, a film that won four Academy Awards. The following year, he founded the Sundance Institute, which later evolved into the Sundance Film Festival. The Sundance Institute provided a much-needed alternative to Hollywood's blockbuster-driven model, becoming a platform for independent filmmakers worldwide. Today, it is one of the most influential platforms for independent cinema. Through the Sundance Institute, Redford helped launch the careers of numerous directors and actors. Redford's directorial career also included acclaimed films such as A River Runs Through It (1992) and Quiz Show (1994). A lifelong environmentalist and political activist, Redford used his fame to advocate for various causes, including conservation efforts and civil liberties. Despite his success, he preferred a quiet life in the mountains of Utah over the glitz of Hollywood. Redford is survived by his wife, Sibylle Szaggars, daughters Shauna and Amy, and grandchildren. Szaggars, a German painter whom Redford married in 2009 in Hamburg, lives with him in Utah but did not die there. Redford's acting film resume also includes The Way We Were (1973) opposite Barbra Streisand, Three Days of the Condor (1975), All the President's Men (1976), and The Electric Horseman (1979), again with Jane Fonda. Redford originated the role of the stuffy newlywed husband in Barefoot in the Park on stage in 1963. His legacy as an actor, director, and philanthropist will continue to inspire generations of artists and activists.
Read also:
- Today's most impactful photographic moments
- Support for Eric Adams in The Post's Letters to the Editor on August 13, 2025
- Roosting Shark and Rambunctious Red Squirrels: Unconventional House Rental in Yorkshire Involving Aquatic Marvel, Squirrely Mayhem, and Mystical Planning Regulations
- Legal Dispute Dismissed with Humor: Supreme Court Laughs off Another Civil Matter Mislabeled as Criminal Prosecution
