Robert Redford, one of Hollywood’s most enduring style icons and an Oscar-winning filmmaker, died Sept. 16, 2025, at his home at Sundance in Utah. He was 89. In a statement, his representative, Cindi Berger, said Redford died "surrounded by those he loved" and that the family requests privacy.
Redford rose to fame in the 1960s and became a defining screen presence in the 1970s with roles in films including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, The Way We Were and All the President’s Men. He won the Academy Award for Best Director for Ordinary People (1980) and helped found the Sundance Film Festival, which became a major platform for independent filmmakers.
Across a six-decade career, Redford’s on-screen wardrobes influenced mainstream men’s fashion in recurring ways, from tailored suits to rugged frontier wear. His performance as Paul Bratter in the 1967 romantic comedy Barefoot in the Park popularized a sharp, tailored look associated with young professional men of the era. Two years later, as the Sundance Kid in the 1969 western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Redford helped revive Western staples such as blue denim shirts and cowboy hats.
Redford’s portrayal of a frontiersman in Jeremiah Johnson (1972) coincided with a broader revival of beards, suede shirts and outdoorsman style. His character in The Sting (1973) made wider, colorful ties fashionable again, while The Way We Were (1973) — in which he co-starred with Barbra Streisand — prompted renewed interest in cable-knit sweaters through the affluent persona he inhabited. In 1974’s The Great Gatsby, Redford’s tailored suits and a white three-piece ensemble with white shoes reinforced the film’s association of menswear with glamour and refinement.
He continued to shape casual styles through the 1970s and beyond. Three Days of the Condor (1975) showcased a relaxed, utilitarian look that included pea coats and aviator sunglasses. Out of Africa (1985) featured desert-ready khakis and beige shirts that reflected a rugged, travel-ready aesthetic. In Indecent Proposal (1993), his portrayal of an older, wealthy man who dresses immaculately drew attention to a more polished, corporate elegance. Spy Game (2001), in which he costarred with Brad Pitt, saw a return to 1970s-inspired leather jackets, sweaters and corduroy trousers.
Beyond his influence on fashion, Redford’s contributions to American cinema were wide-ranging. He earned acclaim as an actor in landmark films such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President’s Men, and he received two Golden Globe Awards during his career. As a director, he won the Academy Award for Best Director and helped bring Ordinary People the Best Picture Oscar.
Redford’s commitment to independent film led him to found the Sundance Institute and the Sundance Film Festival, named after his Butch Cassidy character. The festival grew into a major launchpad for filmmakers, credited with helping introduce directors such as Quentin Tarantino and Darren Aronofsky to broader audiences.
His film career extended into the 1990s and 2000s with roles in The Horse Whisperer (1998), Indecent Proposal and Spy Game, and he made a final feature-film appearance in 2019 with an uncredited role in Avengers: Endgame. In 2023, he again evoked his All the President’s Men persona with an uncredited appearance in the HBO series White House Plumbers.
Redford’s personal life included a 1958 marriage to Lola Van Wagenen, with whom he had four children; the couple later divorced. Their eldest son, Scott, died in infancy. Another son, James Redford, died of cancer in 2020 at age 58. Redford married visual artist Sibylle Szaggars in 2009 and is survived by her and his daughters Shauna and Amy.
Representatives and family have asked for privacy as arrangements are made. Redford’s legacy encompasses both his on-screen work and his off-screen advocacy for independent filmmaking; his style influence is frequently cited in fashion retrospectives that trace how cinema has shaped men’s dress over decades.