American Oscar-winning actor and director Robert Bedford has passed away at 89.

The deceased’s publicist confirmed to the New York Times that the screen legend died peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday at his residence in Utah. 

The circumstances surrounding his death were not disclosed

“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,” said the CEO of Rogers & Cowan PMK, Cindi Berger.

The late cinema legend was born Charles Robert Redford Jr. on August 18, 1936, and his big break came in 1969 when he starred alongside Paul Newman in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, a role that made him a global phenomenon. 

Between the 70s and 80s he featured in some of some of Hollywood’s most celebrated films, including The Sting (1973), All the President’s Men (1976), The Natural (1984), and Out of Africa (1985).

In 1980 he made his debut behind the camera making his directing debut with Ordinary People (1980), a family drama that earned him the Oscar for Best Director and Best Picture and later went on to direct The Milagro Beanfield War (1988), A River Runs Through It (1992), which introduced Brad Pitt to audiences, Quiz Show (1994), and The Horse Whisperer (1998), in which he also starred. 

Bedford gained recognition for his significant contributions, particularly for his most enduring achievement in film culture with the establishment of the Sundance Institute in 1981. This initiative eventually led to the creation of the Sundance Film Festival in 1985, which has since become the world’s leading showcase for independent cinema. 

In 2002, he was honoured with an Academy Award for his remarkable impact on the industry.

Outside the world of show business, he became an environmentalist, dedicating himself to conservation efforts. 

The thespian married historian Lola Van Wagenen in 1958, and they had four children together. Tragically, their first son died in infancy, while their second son, an activist and filmmaker, passed away in 2020.

The couple divorced in 1985, and many years later, in 2009, Redford married German artist Sibylle Szaggars. He was also a grandfather to seven grandchildren.