Robert Redford, Hollywood legend and Sundance founder, dies at 89

Actor and filmmaker Robert Redford has died at his home in Utah, surrounded by family, according to his longtime representative. He was 89.

“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. He will be missed greatly. The family requests privacy,” his representative Cindi Berger said.

Redford was one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed stars, celebrated for his performances in films such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, and All the President’s Men. He later achieved success as a director, winning the Academy Award for Ordinary People in 1981.

Beyond acting and directing, Redford founded the Sundance Institute in 1981, which went on to launch the Sundance Film Festival. The festival grew into the most prominent showcase for independent cinema in the United States.

He was also known to a younger generation as the face of a widely shared internet meme, taken from his role in Jeremiah Johnson, which became a popular reaction image on social media.

The cause of Redford’s death was not disclosed. He is survived by his wife, Sibylle Szaggars, and three of his children. His son James, a filmmaker and activist, died in 2020.

“There are certain people you know that you’re going to click with. After working with Robert Redford on Brubaker in 1980, we instantly became friends,” actor Morgan Freeman said in a social media post. “Rest peacefully, my friend.”