Robert Redford, legendary Hollywood actor and eminent director, has died at the age of 89 at his home in Sundance, Utah.

Redford was both a brilliant actor and a genuine Hollywood star. He made his gift look easy.

His publicist, Cindi Berger wrote, “ Robert Redford passed away on September 16, 2025, at his home in Sundance in the mountains of Utah – the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved. He will be missed greatly.”

Born in Santa Monica, California in 1936, he studied theatre at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. His first acting role was in “ Perry Mason” in 1959.

In 1961, he moved to Uta,h desiring to be closer to nature. He went on to point out the dangers of climate change and championed preserving the environment, possibly inspired by his time in Utah.

 The year 1963 saw him in Neil Simon’s “Barefoot in the Park’ on Broadway before going on to star in the movie of the same name.

The chemistry between himself and Paul Newman in 1969’s “ Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” was memorable. It was a fantastic movie and it earmarked him as a major star.

Robert Redford had a quiet confidence about him. Men admired his competence, women….his stunning good looks.

He went on an incredible run in the 70s starring in a number of classics, including “Jeremiah Johnson’, “ The Way We Were”, “The Great Gatsby”, “ All the President’s Men”. The man with the golden hair had the golden touch.

He was never comfortable with being labelled a good-looking lead actor, he recoiled from being referred to as a handsome movie star.

“ I didn’t see myself the way others see me and I was feeling kind of trapped because I couldn’t go outside the box of a good-looking leading man. It was very flattering but it was feeling restrictive…so it took many years to break loose of that.”

Come the 80s, Redford made his mark behind the camera, his directorial debut “ Ordinary People” is an incredible piece of work, a study of American family dysfunctionalism. Today it is still cited as one of the best movies of the 20th century. 

That decade, he followed up with starring roles in “Out of Africa” and the baseball movie “ The Natural”.

With his reputation firmly cemented, he again went on an incredible run a decade later with Indecent Proposal (1993), A River Runs Through It, (1993), Quizz Show (1994), and The Horse Whisperer (1998).

He set up the Sundance Film Festival and backed independent film-making. Star directors like Quentin Tarantino, Ryan Coogler,and Steven Soderbergh owe him a debt of gratitude..

Redford was not only a movie icon but a symbol of American style. Check out his attire in “Butch Cassidy”, “The Great Gatsby,’ “Indecent Proposal”.

He was a man dedicated to his craft and his outlook on  retirement says it all: “ To me retirement means stopping something or quitting something. There’s the life to lead, why not live it as much as you can as long as you can.”

Robert Redford acted in his 80s, starring in Our Souls at Night (2017), The Old Man & The Gun (2018), and Avengers Endgame (2019).

In the movie “ The Natural’ he says as Roy Hobbs, “ I want to be remembered as the best there ever was. Robert Redford will certainly be remembered as one of the best actors in Hollywood..He will leave a lasting legacy.