The Oscar-winning actor and director Robert Redford has died at his mountain home in Utah, closing a chapter on a career that helped shape modern cinema.
Redford, known for his intensity, elegance, and quiet defiance on screen, passed away on September 16, 2025, at the age of 89. His death marks the end of an era for both Hollywood blockbusters and the independent film movement he championed.
The news was confirmed in a statement by Cindi Berger, CEO of Rogers & Cowen PMK, who said he died peacefully in his sleep. The cause of death has not yet been revealed.
From Leading Man to Industry Visionary
Redford wasn’t just a celebrated actor — he was a cultural icon who reshaped American cinema. He shone in unforgettable roles like the charming outlaw in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) and the determined journalist in All the President’s Men (1976). Other classics include The Sting, Three Days of the Condor, The Way We Were, and Out of Africa with Meryl Streep.
Sundance: His Lasting Legacy
In 1981, Redford founded the Sundance Institute to support emerging filmmakers. Three years later, he revitalized a struggling Utah film festival, renaming it Sundance and turning it into one of the world’s most influential platforms for independent cinema.