'One of the Lions has passed': Meryl Streep leads tributes as Hollywood icon Robert Redford dies aged 89
The Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President’s Men star passed away peacefully at his home in Utah.
The Oscar-winning actor and director passed away in his sleep at his home in Utah.
Listen to this article
The Oscar-winning actor and director, famed for his roles in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President’s Men, passed away at his home in Utah.
Redford’s career spanned more than six decades, during which he became one of the most recognisable faces in American cinema.
Rising to fame in the 1960s, Redford became a household name for his turns in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) and The Sting (1973).
His roles ranged from Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward to a mountain man in Jeremiah Johnson to a double agent in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and his co-stars included Jane Fonda, Meryl Streep and Tom Cruise.
But his most famous screen partner was his old friend and fellow activist and practical joker Paul Newman, their films a variation of their warm, teasing relationship off screen.
He went on to earn acclaim behind the camera, winning an Oscar for his directorial debut Ordinary People (1980).
In the years that followed, he directed everything from political dramas to literary adaptations.
The Sundance Kid
Beyond the screen, Redford also founded the nonprofit Sundance Institute in 1981, which became a home for budding filmmakers from across the art world.
Three years later, he took over a struggling Sundance Film Festival, transforming it into the global brand it is today.
Since then, it has gone on to host the directorial debuts of iconic filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, Ava DuVernay, James Wan, and Darren Aronofsky.
"For me, the word to be underscored is 'independence'," Redford said of the festival in 2018.
"I've always believed in that word. That's what led to me eventually wanting to create a category that supported independent artists who weren't given a chance to be heard.
"The industry was pretty well controlled by the mainstream, which I was a part of. But I saw other stories out there that weren't having a chance to be told and I thought, 'Well, maybe I can commit my energies to giving those people a chance'.
"As I look back on it, I feel very good about that."
His publicist, Cindi Berger, announced his death in a statement on Tuesday.
She said: "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."
As he aged, Redford became disillusioned with Hollywood, moving to New York and eventually to his beloved Utah.
“There was nothing at the end of the rainbow for me here,” Redford told Esquire in 2013 of California.
“Hollywood was not a place I dreamed of getting to. I never could take seriously the obsession people have about being a celebrity or getting to Hollywood – I was born next door.”
Redford is survived by his two daughters, Shauna and Amy.
Dedicated environmentalist
Redford was also a dedicated environmentalist, working tirelessly to protect Utah’s stunning landscape.
In 1970, he fought against a planned six-lane highway in a Utah canyon.
Just five years later, he battled the idea of a coal-fired power plant in southern Utah.
Tributes pour in
Tributes have poured in following Redford's passing.
Hollywood icon Meryl Streep said: "One of the lions has passed.
"Rest in peace my lovely friend."
While Donald Trump said "there was nobody better."
Journalist Piers Morgan wrote: "One of the all-time great movie stars.
"A true Hollywood legend who starred in so many of my favourite films: Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, The Way We Were, All The President’s Men. What a career, what an actor, what a sad loss."
Marlee Matlin, star of the Academy Award-winning 2021 film CODA, said: "Our film, CODA, came to the attention of everyone because of Sundance. And Sundance happened because of Robert Redford. A genius has passed. RIP Robert."
Robert Redford's Top 10 Films by IMDb Rating:
Avengers: Endgame (2019) - 8.4/10
The Sting (1973) - 8.2/10
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) - 8.0/10
All the President's Men (1976) - 7.9/10
Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) - 7.7/10
Jeremiah Johnson (1972) - 7.6/10
A Bridge Too Far (1977) - 7.4/10
The Natural (1984) - 7.4/10
Three Days of the Condor (1975) - 7.4/10
Out of Africa (1985) - 7.1/10