Legendary Actor Robert Redford Dead | Biography & Net Worth Explained
Hollywood and the world of cinema are mourning the loss of a true legend. Charles Robert Redford Jr., better known as Robert Redford, passed away on September sixteenth, two thousand twenty-five, at the age of eighty-nine. The actor, director, producer, and visionary behind the Sundance Film Festival leaves behind a monumental legacy that reshaped both mainstream and independent film. His death marks the end of an era, as one of Hollywood’s most iconic leading men takes his final bow.
[Cause of Death]
According to family sources, Robert Redford passed peacefully at his home surrounded by loved ones. In his later years, Redford faced ongoing age-related health complications, though he continued to work as an executive producer and remain active in creative projects until the very end. His departure was not sudden but rather the gentle closing of a remarkable life lived to the fullest, reminding fans worldwide of the fragility of even the brightest stars.
[Early Life & Family Background]
Robert Redford was born on August eighteenth, nineteen thirty-six, in Santa Monica, California. He was the son of Martha Woodruff Redford and Charles Redford Sr., an accountant. Of Irish, Scottish, and English ancestry, Redford grew up in Van Nuys, California, where he often visited relatives in Texas. As a boy, he struggled with academics but excelled in sports and art. His childhood experiences, combined with a mild case of polio at age eleven, shaped his determination and resilience. After attending Van Nuys High School with classmates like baseball star Don Drysdale, Redford studied briefly at the University of Colorado before traveling through Europe and eventually pursuing painting in New York. His time at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts set the stage for his career in acting.
[Career Beginnings & Breakthrough]
Redford’s career began on Broadway in the late nineteen-fifties, where he appeared in Tall Story and gained recognition in Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park. His television appearances on The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, and Perry Mason built his reputation. But it was his transition to film that made him a star. Early roles in War Hunt and Inside Daisy Clover led to widespread fame with Barefoot in the Park in nineteen sixty-seven, and especially Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in nineteen sixty-nine, opposite Paul Newman. By the early seventies, Redford had become one of the most bankable stars in Hollywood, headlining classics such as The Candidate, The Sting, The Way We Were, and All the President’s Men.
[Directorial Success & Sundance Legacy]
In nineteen eighty, Robert Redford made his directorial debut with Ordinary People, a film that won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director. He continued to direct acclaimed works like A River Runs Through It and Quiz Show. Beyond acting and directing, Redford’s most enduring contribution may be the founding of the Sundance Film Festival and Institute. What started as a small gathering in Utah became the world’s premier platform for independent cinema, launching the careers of countless filmmakers. This dedication to nurturing new voices made him not only a Hollywood star but also a cultural visionary.
[Later Career & Retirement]
Even in later years, Redford refused to slow down. He gave a tour-de-force solo performance in All Is Lost in two thousand thirteen, played the villain Alexander Pierce in Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and delivered a poignant farewell role in The Old Man & the Gun in two thousand eighteen. While he announced his retirement, he remained active as a producer, notably on the television series Dark Winds. His influence on cinema endured right up to his final years.
[Wife & Family]
Robert Redford married Lola Van Wagenen in nineteen fifty-eight, and together they had four children: Scott, Shauna, David, and Amy. Sadly, his first son, Scott, passed away in infancy. His second son, James Redford, became a filmmaker and activist before his untimely passing in two thousand twenty. Redford and Lola divorced in nineteen eighty-five, and he later married German painter Sibylle Szaggars in two thousand nine. Family remained at the center of his life, even as his career demanded global attention. Despite personal tragedies, Redford’s commitment to his loved ones was evident throughout his life.
[Net Worth & Lifestyle]
At the time of his passing, Robert Redford’s net worth was estimated at around two hundred million dollars. His wealth came from decades of acting, directing, producing, and business ventures tied to the Sundance brand, including Sundance Catalog and Sundance Resort. Unlike many Hollywood elites, Redford lived a life deeply connected to nature, with his Utah ranch serving as both a sanctuary and creative hub. Known for his environmental activism, he invested his resources in conservation efforts and social causes, making his lifestyle as much about purpose as luxury.
[Awards & Honors]
Redford’s achievements were recognized with some of the highest honors in the arts and beyond. He won an Academy Award for Best Director, received a Presidential Medal of Freedom from Barack Obama in two thousand sixteen, and earned countless lifetime achievement awards, including the Kennedy Center Honors. Time magazine even named him one of the one hundred most influential people in the world in two thousand fourteen. His combination of artistry, activism, and leadership placed him among the most celebrated figures in modern culture.
[Interesting Facts & Trivia]
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Redford once trained with tennis legend Pancho Gonzalez as a teenager.
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He was nearly cast in The Graduate but turned it down, feeling miscast.
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A mural of his face still decorates The Sink, a bar where he once worked as a student.
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Despite his leading-man status, Redford often chose roles that challenged Hollywood stereotypes.
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His Sundance Institute has supported thousands of filmmakers worldwide, forever changing cinema.
[Legacy & Final Tribute]
Robert Redford’s passing leaves behind not just a filmography, but a movement. As a matinee idol, he embodied charm and intelligence. As a director, he brought sensitivity and depth. And as a cultural architect, he gave independent cinema its greatest platform through Sundance. His life’s work bridged glamour and authenticity, Hollywood and humanity. While he may no longer walk among us, his spirit lives on in every film he touched and every artist he inspired. Farewell to Robert Redford – a true legend, whose story will never fade from the screen of history.
Quick Facts Table
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Charles Robert Redford Jr. |
| Born | August eighteenth, nineteen thirty-six – Santa Monica, California |
| Died | September sixteenth, two thousand twenty-five – age eighty-nine |
| Profession | Actor, Director, Producer, Environmentalist |
| Spouses | Lola Van Wagenen (m. 1958–1985), Sibylle Szaggars (m. 2009–2025) |
| Children | Four (Scott †, Shauna, David †, Amy) |
| Net Worth | Estimated $200 million |
| Known For | Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, Ordinary People, Sundance Film Festival |
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