Hollywood mourns a true American original as tributes pour in for legendary actor and director Robert Redford, whose legacy includes decades of powerful storytelling, founding the Sundance Film Festival, and leaving an enduring mark on American cinema.
Redford, who starred in classics like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Out of Africa, passed away Tuesday at 89 at his home in Utah. “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,” his representative confirmed.
Barbra Streisand, who starred opposite him in The Way We Were, called him “charismatic, intelligent, intense, always interesting — and one of the finest actors ever.” Scarlett Johansson credited him for shaping her career, recalling how “Bob created an environment on set that was calm and precious; a place where actors could make discoveries.”
Redford’s influence went beyond film. Ethan Hawke praised him as a “relentless advocate for authentic storytelling and a fiercely passionate environmentalist.” Actress Jane Fonda said his life embodied “an America we have to keep fighting for.”
The Robert Redford will endure in every actor, director, and filmmaker he inspired. As Ralph Fiennes put it, “The filmmaking world is smaller without him.”
