Robert Redford death 2025 is the update everyone is searching for. This clear, fact-checked tribute explains what’s confirmed about the cause of death, his wife and children, and the films that built his Sundance legacy.
“Robert Redford” by Nathan Congleton is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
On September 16, 2025, the news broke: Robert Redford—actor, director, Sundance founder, environmentalist—died at 89 at his home in Sundance, Utah, surrounded by loved ones. His publicist confirmed the passing; no cause of death was disclosed. The day’s search queries told the story: did Robert Redford die? what did Robert Redford die of? how old was Robert Redford?—a collective reflex to verify the unimaginable, to grasp a life that felt stitched into the fabric of American movies. Reuters
For a generation of moviegoers, Redford wasn’t just a star; he was a direction. His partnerships—“Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” “The Sting,” and later “All the President’s Men”—helped define a new American cool: principled, wry, restless. Then he pivoted and built an institution: the Sundance Institute and Film Festival, the single most important pipeline for independent storytellers in the United States. With his passing, the question trending across feeds (“how did Robert Redford die?”) yielded a sober, official answer—he died in his sleep; the family did not share a cause—while a better question emerged: What did Robert Redford live for? The Guardian+1
Robert Redford death 2025 — the confirmed facts Robert Redford cause of death: what’s known and what isn’t
Did Robert Redford die?
Yes. Redford died on September 16, 2025, age 89, at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah. Reuters
What did Robert Redford die from / cause of death?
As of publication, the family has not disclosed a cause of death; the public statement says he died in his sleep. If you see more specific claims circulating, treat them as speculation until confirmed by the family, their publicist, or medical sources. AP News
Was Robert Redford married? Who is his wife?
Redford married German artist Sibylle Szaggars in 2009. He previously married historian Lola Van Wagenen (1958–1985).
Did Robert Redford have children?
He had four children—including Shauna and Amy (filmmaker/actor). Two sons predeceased him: Scott (infancy, 1959) and James (filmmaker/activist, 2020).
A Life in Two Acts: Movie Star and Movement Builder
The brief distilled version reads like myth. Santa Monica kid with striking looks and a skeptic’s mind becomes a superstar, then steps behind the camera to direct “Ordinary People” (Oscar for Best Director), and finally builds Sundance—a platform that transforms independent film. But the texture of his career is richer.
In the 1970s, Redford embodied a new kind of American protagonist: less invincible than perceptive, less swagger than conscience. Think Jeremiah Johnson’s stubborn solitude, Roy Hobbs in “The Natural,” the meticulous Bob Woodward in “All the President’s Men,” and the bruised romance of “The Way We Were.” He could be the romantic lead or the skeptic in the back of the room asking the question that breaks the case open.
As tributes pour in, this guide to Robert Redford death 2025 keeps to verified details and points you to the essential movies to rewatch in his honor—without rumor or speculation.
And then there’s the second act: Sundance. What began as land in Utah for privacy and a creative retreat turned into the Sundance Institute and Film Festival, a safe harbor for films that might otherwise never find an audience. The institute’s labs nurtured directors as different as Steven Soderbergh and Quentin Tarantino; the festival became the place where films like “Whiplash,” “Fruitvale Station,” “CODA” (and many more) crossed from passion project to cultural moment. Redford didn’t just support indies; he re-engineered the on-ramp to the mainstream for non-mainstream voices. The Guardian
Even in late career, he refused to calcify into his legend. He took a nearly wordless survival role in “All Is Lost” and—because curiosity beat ego—joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Alexander Pierce in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” (and later, a cameo in “Avengers: Endgame”). The message underneath the casting stunt was pure Redford: if a thing is shaping the culture, go learn how it works. The Guardian
A Public Life, Private Values
Redford’s longtime publicist once quipped that “some people have analysis; Bob had Utah.” He chose distance over celebrity, moving his center of gravity to the mountains, and channeled clout into environmental advocacy—supporting groups like NRDC and speaking out on conservation, clean air, and water. Politics, yes—but as stewardship, not spectacle. In interviews, he called independence “the word to underscore,” the animating principle behind Sundance and much of his activism. Reuters+1
He was, fundamentally, someone who built things: careers, platforms, corridors for new voices. That’s why his death lands like a structural absence—a beam removed from the cultural house. AP’s obituary even notes how the festival’s growth has spurred change beyond Utah, with plans to relocate the Sundance Film Festival to Boulder, Colorado, starting in 2027—a testament to an organism still evolving beyond its founder. AP News
Tributes That Capture the Man
The industry’s grief felt unusually personal. Meryl Streep called him “one of the lions”—a simple, perfect line that describes both his presence and the ecosystem he protected for others. Barbra Streisand, recalling “The Way We Were,” praised him as “one of the finest actors ever,” an opposite who matched her intensity note for note. Jane Fonda wrote that she “can’t stop crying.” These aren’t boilerplate eulogies; they’re the testimonies of peers who knew how hard it is to do the work and build the world where the work can thrive. ABC News+2People.com+2
Filmography Touchstones (and Why They Still Play)
“Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” (1969)
A buddy-western that functions like a seminar in charisma vs. fate. Redford’s Sundance Kid is the grin that knows the joke ends with bullets. The film essentially named his next life—Sundance—and launched his longest project. The Guardian
“All the President’s Men” (1976)
Watch it now and you’ll feel your shoulders tense. Redford’s Bob Woodward is careful, dogged—proof that glamour can be discipline in a good suit. The film aged into a civics class. Reuters
“Ordinary People” (1980) – Director
The grace note of Redford as director is restraint. He won the Best Director Oscar, but the film’s enduring power is how it listens—to grief, to guilt, to what families won’t say out loud. Reuters
“A River Runs Through It” (1992) – Director
A perfect translation of small things mattering, and the Montana light is practically a character. Redford’s narrator voice is a quiet benediction for fathers, sons, and the stubbornness of love. The Guardian
“The Natural” (1984)
Baseball as mythic return. It’s not subtle—neither is a stadium of people standing for one perfect swing. Roy Hobbs gave boys and men a fable to keep in their pockets. The Guardian
“All Is Lost” (2013)
One man, one boat, almost no words. At an age when most actors lean on tricks, Redford bet on silence—and won. It’s a survival film that plays like a prayer. The Guardian
Answering the Big Search Questions—Clearly, Without the Rumors
“Robert Redford cause of death 2025” / “What did Robert Redford die of?”
Official statements say he died in his sleep; no cause has been provided. Until the family shares more, that is the only fact. Treat any other specifics as unverified. Reuters+1
“Was Robert Redford sick?”
There’s no official confirmation of an underlying illness linked to his passing. Public tributes foreground peace, privacy, and gratitude—not medical details. AP News
“Robert Redford wife” / “Sibylle Szaggars”
Sibylle Szaggars Redford is an artist and environmental advocate; the couple married in 2009 and often split time between Utah and the Southwest, where Szaggars runs art and environmental initiatives. Reuters
“Robert Redford net worth 2025”
Estimates vary by outlet; several mainstream write-ups that day referenced ~$200 million, typically echoing third-party wealth trackers. Treat that as an estimate, not a filing. The Economic Times
Why This Loss Feels Different
We grieve actors all the time. We don’t always grieve architects. Redford didn’t merely leave behind a list of Robert Redford movies; he left an ecosystem—labs, grants, mentors, a festival cadence where careers begin. The thousands of filmmakers who found their first believers at Sundance are as much his legacy as “Jeremiah Johnson,” “Three Days of the Condor,” “Barefoot in the Park,” “Out of Africa,” “Sneakers,” “The Horse Whisperer,” and “The Old Man & the Gun.” He bent the industry toward risk, letting audiences meet new storytellers the way he once met Paul Newman—with curiosity and a dare. The Guardian
If you want a single image to hold onto, try this: a festival Q&A where a shaky first-time director stands in front of a packed house and says, “We made this on weekends,” and the room explodes with applause. That’s Redford’s doing. He took America’s romance with the individual and hard-wired it into a community.
Where to Start (or Revisit) Tonight
For romance with political teeth: “The Way We Were” (also the best pairing with the tributes you’re seeing from Barbra Streisand today). People.com
For a journalism gut-check: “All the President’s Men.” Reuters
For the western soul: “Jeremiah Johnson.”
For director Redford: “Ordinary People” and “A River Runs Through It.” Reuters
For late-career curiosity: “All Is Lost” and “Captain America: The Winter Soldier.” The Guardian
Watch two, then go read an emerging filmmaker’s Sundance diary. That’s the pair that explains the man.
The Last Word
There’s a risk, in weeks like this, of filing a legend in a tidy folder: titles, awards, quotes. Resist it. Redford always kept something unfinished—a program to expand, a voice to amplify, a valley to protect. Independence is not a posture; it’s a practice, and he practiced it daily.
What Redford leaves us is not just nostalgia, but a to-do list: notice new talent, take principled risks, and build structures that will outlive your own spotlight. If you have a favorite Redford moment—on screen or at Sundance—what did it give you permission to do? And who are you giving that permission to now?
Bookmark this page for any official updates related to Robert Redford death 2025, his family’s statement, and viewing recommendations.
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