Robert Redford Dead at 89: Hollywood Icon’s Final Curtain Falls

Robert Redford has died at 89. One of the last links between old-school movie stardom and the modern blockbuster machine, gone. If you care about American film, you felt this man's fingerprints somewhere along the way.

The announcement

'Robert Redford passed away on September 16th 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.'

- Cindi Berger, Redford's publicist

Redford was born in Santa Monica in 1936 and started out in the late 1950s on New York stages and TV. From there, he did the rare thing: he became a genuine, bankable movie star and then used that clout to change the industry around him.

The actor who defined multiple eras

The 1960s put him on the map thanks to lead roles in 'Barefoot in the Park' and, of course, 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.' In 1973, he earned an Oscar nomination for Best Actor for 'The Sting,' once again paired with Paul Newman. After that came a run most actors would trade careers for: 'All the President's Men,' 'A Bridge Too Far,' and 'Out of Africa.'

Later in life, he jumped into the MCU as the very charmingly menacing Alexander Pierce in 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' and popped back up in 'Avengers: Endgame.' A neat reminder that even the superhero era knew to tip its hat.

Director, builder, and champion of independents

Redford stepped behind the camera with 'Ordinary People' in 1980 and won the Academy Award for Best Director right out of the gate. He kept directing into the 2010s, including 'The Conspirator' in 2010 and 'The Company You Keep' in 2012.

His biggest off-screen legacy is the thing that shares his most famous character's name: he founded the Sundance Institute and Sundance Film Festival, which grew from an artist-support idea into the launchpad for American independent film. In 2002, the Academy gave him an Honorary Award, saluting him as an 'inspiration to independent and innovative filmmakers everywhere.'

Stepping back, but never completely gone

He said he was retiring from acting in 2018, pointing to 'The Old Man & the Gun' as the final bow. Classic movie legend move: he still made brief returns afterward, turning up as an actor, a narrator, and an executive producer on select projects. When you have that kind of history, people keep asking, and sometimes you say yes.

Family

Redford married historian and activist Lola Van Wagenen in 1958; they divorced in 1995. He married artist Sibylle Szaggars in 2009, and she survives him. He had four children with Van Wagenen: Scott, James, Shauna, and Amy. There is real pain in that family story: Scott died of sudden infant death syndrome at two months old, and James died of cancer in 2020. Shauna became an artist; Amy followed her dad into the business as a director.

A quick roll call: essential roles and milestones

• Born August 1936 in Santa Monica; broke in on New York stages and television in the late 1950s
• 60s breakout: 'Barefoot in the Park' and 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid'
• 1973: Best Actor Oscar nomination for 'The Sting'
• 70s-80s run: 'All the President's Men,' 'A Bridge Too Far,' 'Out of Africa'
• Director: 'Ordinary People' (Best Director Oscar, 1980), later 'The Conspirator' (2010) and 'The Company You Keep' (2012)
• Founder: Sundance Institute and Sundance Film Festival, the backbone of American indie film
• 2002: Academy Honorary Award recognizing his industry-wide impact
• Modern-era cameo: Alexander Pierce in 'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' and 'Avengers: Endgame'
• 2018: Announces retirement, with 'The Old Man & the Gun' as the planned sendoff, followed by a few selective returns

Redford leaves behind more than a filmography; he leaves a blueprint for how to use fame to build something lasting. Not many do both. He did.