In a blow to the entertainment industry that underscores the fragility of Hollywood’s golden era, Robert Redford, the charismatic actor, director, and entrepreneurial force behind the Sundance Film Festival, passed away on September 16, 2025, at his cherished home in the Utah mountains. He was 89.
Redford’s death marks the end of an era for a man whose on-screen magnetism and off-screen business savvy transformed the film landscape, generating billions in box office revenue and fostering an indie film economy that challenged the liberal-dominated studio system.
Cindi Berger, CEO of the publicity firm Rogers & Cowan PMK, confirmed the news in a statement: “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.” The announcement comes at a time when Hollywood is grappling with declining ticket sales and cultural shifts, reminding us of Redford’s role as a rare conservative-leaning outlier in an industry often criticized for its left-wing echo chamber.
Born Charles Robert Redford on August 18, 1936, in Santa Monica, California, Redford’s journey from a rebellious youth to a Hollywood powerhouse exemplifies the American Dream of self-made success. After being expelled from the University of Colorado for poor grades and a penchant for mischief, he honed his craft at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York.
His early career blended television appearances on shows like “Perry Mason” and “The Twilight Zone” with Broadway triumphs, including the 1963 hit “Barefoot in the Park” by Neil Simon, which he later adapted to film opposite Jane Fonda.
Redford’s breakthrough came in 1969 with “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” co-starring Paul Newman. The Western, which grossed over $100 million (equivalent to nearly $800 million today), became the highest-earning film of the year and was preserved in the National Film Registry in 2003. It launched a string of blockbusters that solidified Redford as a box office juggernaut: “The Sting” (1973), which earned him his only Best Actor Oscar nomination and won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture; “The Way We Were” (1973) with Barbra Streisand, a romantic drama that raked in $50 million despite mixed reviews; and “All the President’s Men” (1976), where he portrayed Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward alongside Dustin Hoffman, exposing the Watergate scandal in a film that garnered eight Oscar nominations.
These hits weren’t just artistic triumphs; they were economic engines. During the 1970s, Redford was Hollywood’s top draw, contributing to films that collectively grossed hundreds of millions and boosted studio profits at a time when the industry was recovering from the decline of the studio system. His collaborations with director Sydney Pollack, spanning seven films including “Three Days of the Condor” (1975) and “Out of Africa” (1985), exemplified efficient, high-return filmmaking. “Out of Africa” alone won seven Oscars and grossed over $227 million worldwide.
Yet Redford’s legacy extends beyond acting into savvy entrepreneurship. In 1969, he founded Wildwood Enterprises, producing films like “Downhill Racer” and “The Candidate” (1972), a satirical take on political ambition that presciently critiqued the Faustian bargains of Washington insiders—resonating today amid ongoing debates about political integrity. His directorial debut, “Ordinary People” (1980), won four Oscars, including Best Director and Best Picture, proving that thoughtful, family-centered dramas could compete commercially against flashier fare.
Perhaps Redford’s most enduring business innovation was the Sundance Institute and Film Festival, established in 1981 in Park City, Utah. What began as a modest filmmakers’ lab evolved into a powerhouse that ignited the independent film boom, launching careers like those of Quentin Tarantino (“Reservoir Dogs”), Steven Soderbergh, and Ryan Coogler (“Fruitvale Station”). Sundance has generated an estimated $100 million annually for Utah’s economy through tourism and production, creating jobs and attracting investment in a red-state haven far from Hollywood’s coastal elite. Critics from the right have praised it as a merit-based platform that democratized filmmaking, countering the big-studio monopolies often accused of pushing progressive agendas.
However, Redford’s outspoken liberalism sometimes clashed with his business acumen. A vocal environmental activist and trustee of the Natural Resources Defense Council, he opposed projects like the Keystone XL pipeline and advocated for Arctic Wildlife Refuge protections—stances that conservatives argue stifled energy independence and economic growth.
His films, such as “Lions for Lambs” (2007) critiquing U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, were seen by some as preachy civics lessons that underperformed at the box office. Still, Redford’s ability to leverage celebrity for causes while maintaining commercial viability highlights a pragmatic streak rare in Tinseltown.
In later years, Redford scaled back acting, with notable roles in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” (2014) and “Avengers: Endgame” (2019) as the villainous Alexander Pierce—ironic given his anti-establishment roots. His final film, “The Old Man & the Gun” (2018), capped a career that spanned over 50 years. He received honorary Oscars in 2002, the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama in 2016, and international accolades like the Légion d’Honneur.
Redford was married twice: first to Lola Van Wagenen (1958-1985), with whom he had four children (two of whom predeceased him), and then to artist Sibylle Szaggars in 2009. He is survived by Szaggars, two children, and grandchildren.
As Hollywood faces streaming disruptions and cultural reckonings, Redford’s death prompts reflection on a time when stars like him drove genuine box office success through talent and innovation, not just ideology. His Sundance legacy endures as a beacon for free-market creativity in film.
