Robert Redford passed away on September 16, 2025, at his home in Sundance, Utah, while sleeping, surrounded by loved ones. He was 89 years old, and leaves behind an indelible legacy as a Hollywood icon, founder of the Sundance Film Festival, and champion of independent cinema. His passing marks the end of a golden era of classic and socially engaged filmmaking.

Robert Redford was one of the most influential artists in American cinema. Born in California in 1936, he rose to fame in the 1970s with films like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, and All the President’s Men. His charisma, elegance, and artistic commitment made him a symbol of political and auteur-driven cinema. As a director, he won an Academy Award for Ordinary People (1980), and as a producer, he helped elevate alternative filmmaking through the prestigious Sundance Film Festival, which he founded.

Over more than six decades of career, Redford was honored with numerous awards, including an honorary Oscar in 2002. He officially retired from acting in 2018 with The Old Man & the Gun, though his influence lives on in every generation of filmmakers who admire him. Beyond his artistic legacy, he was also an environmental and political activist, deeply committed to social causes that shaped both his work and his life.