Robert Redford: a life in pictures

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Robert Redford in The Horse Whisperer Photograph: Allstar

The actor, director, producer, creator of Sundance and environmentalist, Robert Redford has died at the age of 89. Here we look back at his life and times

Main image: Robert Redford in The Horse Whisperer Photograph: Allstar

Tue 16 Sep 2025 08.50 EDT Last modified on Tue 16 Sep 2025 13.45 EDT

  • Charles Robert Redford, Jr, was born on 18 August 1936, in Santa Monica, California Robert Redford in 1963
  • The Virginian, 1963In the early 1960s Redford appeared in numerous TV shows including Perry Mason and The Twilight Zone. Here he is playing a prisoner in an episode of The Virginian called The Evil That Men Do Robert Redford in The Virginian, 1963
  • Barefoot in the Park, 1963One of Redford’s few stage performances was on Broadway alongside Elizabeth Ashley in Neil Simon’s romantic comedy. Redford later reprised the role on film with Jane Fonda Robert Redford and Elizabeth Ashley in Barefoot in the Park, 1963
  • Inside Daisy Clover, 1965Redford’s breakthrough role was alongside Natalie Wood as a closet homosexual – it won him the Golden Globe for most promising newcomer Natalie Wood and Robert Redford in Inside Daisy Clover, 1965
  • Barefoot in the Park, 1967Redford and Jane Fonda as Paul and Corie Bratter in the film adapted by Neil Simon from his play Redford and Jane Fonda as Paul and Corie Bratter in Barefoot In The Park, 1967
  • Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969A poster of Redford and Paul Newman in one of their biggest hit movies. They reunited in The Sting, 1973, also a hit A poster of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969
  • Robert Redford in 1969This was a big year in terms of public awareness of the actor, with three big movie releases, bringing him a lot of attention Robert Redford in 1969
  • Downhill Racer, 1969This sports drama, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here were all released in 1969 and saw Redford win that year’s Bafta award for best actor Robert Redford in Downhill Racer, 1969
  • Little Fauss and Big Halsy, 1970Redford as womanising motorcycle racer Halsy Knox Robert Redford in Little Fauss and Big Halsy, 1970
  • Redford and his wife Lola at home, Utah, 1972The couple were married in 1958 and divorced in 1985. They had four children together Robert and Lola Redford at home in 1972
  • The Candidate, 1972A poster for the award-winning political satire A poster for The Candidate, 1972
  • The Way We Were, 1973Redford and Barbra Streisand in the hugely popular romantic drama Robert Redford and Barbara Streisand in The Way We Were, 1973
  • Robert Redford in 1973At the height of his movie-idol fame Robert Redford in 1973
  • The Sting, 1973Redford was nominated for the best actor Oscar for his performance as young con artist Johnny Hooker who teams up with Paul Newman’s master conman Henry Gondorff Robert Redford and Paul Newman in The Sting, 1973
  • The Great Gatsby, 1974Mia Farrow and Robert Redford in the adaptation of F Scott Fitzgerald’s novel Mia Farrow and Robert Redford in The Great Gatsby, 1974
  • Three Days of the Condor, 1975Redford in Sydney Pollack’s CIA thriller Robert Redford in Three Days of the Condor, 1975
  • Robert Redford on the Outlaw Trail, 1975Redford meets locals at the Mercantile Saloon, Atlantic City, Wyoming. He undertook a three-week ride, financed, photographed and published by National Geographic, along a trail from Canada to Mexico where from 1870 to 1910, outlaws went to escape their past or the price on their head Robert Redford talks with locals at the Mercantile Saloon, Atlantic City, Wyoming on 11 November 1975. Redford undertook a three week ride, financed, photographed and published by National Geographic, along the Outlaw Trail, a trail from Canada to Mexico where from 1870 to 1910, outlaws ran to escape their past or a price on their head
  • All the President’s Men, 1976Set in the offices of The Washington Post as the Watergate scandal is uncovered, Redford played journalist Bob Woodward and Dustin Hoffman played Carl Bernstein in Alan J Pakula’s political thriller Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford in All the President’s Men, 1976
  • Jimmy Carter with Redford, 1976Democratic nominee Carter helps carry Redford’s luggage to a plane in Plains, Georgia, in 1976. Redford had stayed overnight at the Carter home to discuss issues of ecology Sunday, 5 September 1976: Democratic nominee Jimmy Carter helps carry movie star Robert Redford’s luggage to a plane waiting at the local airport in Plains, Georgia. Redford had stayed overnight at the Carter home to discuss matters of ecology
  • Ordinary People, 1981Redford’s directorial debut was the story of a family fractured by the accidental death of a son. Here he gives instructions to Mary Tyler Moore, Donald Sutherland and Timothy Hutton Mary Tyler Moore, Donald Sutherland, Robert Redford and Timothy Hutton on the set of Ordinary People, 1981
  • Redford at the Oscars, 1981Redford won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for best director for his work on Ordinary People. Here he is with the film’s producer, Ronald L Schwary who is holding the best picture Oscar at the 53rd annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles in 1981. With them are Robert De Niro, who won best actor for Raging Bull and Sissy Spacek who won for best actress for Coal Miner’s Daughter Robert De Niro, Sissy Spacek, Ronald L. Schwary and Robert Redford at the 53rd annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles on 31 March 1981
  • Out of Africa, 1985Meryl Streep and Redford in Sydney Pollack’s Kenya-set romance based on the book by Karen Blixen Meryl Streep and Robert Redford in Out of Africa, 1985
  • Robert Redford campaigning for the environment, Calumet River, 1988The star blamed the pollution of the Calumet river, Illinois, on the Reagan administration’s eight years of ‘water abuse’. At the time, attorney general Neil Hartigan said the area, with its 33 dump sites, was the most toxic in America Original Caption 12 October 1988 - Burnham, Illinois: Movie star Robert Redford stands alongside the polluted Calumet River and blames the Reagan administration for eight years of ‘water abuse’. Illinois Attorney General Neil Hartigan, who introduced Redford, said the Calumet River area, with its 33 dump sites, is the most toxic in America. Redford said environmental spending ‘should be on the same level as defense and military strengths.’
  • A River Runs Through It, 1992Redford, seen here talking to Brad Pitt, was nominated for the Golden Globe for best director for this story of the lives of two brothers devoted to fly fishing while growing up in rural Montana Robert Redford and Brad Pitt on the set of A River Runs Through It, 1992
  • Redford at a press conference at Sundance film festival, 1994, Salt Lake City, UtahThe festival began life in 1978 as the Utah/US film festival and in 1991 it changed its name in honour of Redford’s character, the Sundance Kid Robert Redford talks at a press conference for the film Four Weddings and a Funeral at the Sundance Film Festival on 21 January 1994 in Salt Lake City, Utah
  • Quiz Show, 1994Redford produced and directed this story of the rigged television quiz shows of the 1950s, featuring Ralph Fiennes, Christopher McDonald and John Turturro Ralph Fiennes, Christopher McDonald and John Turturro in Quiz Show, 1994
  • The Horse Whisperer, 1998Redford was again nominated for the best director Golden Globe for this romantic drama which he also produced and starred in, alongside Kristin Scott Thomas and Scarlett Johansson Robert Redford and Kristin Scott Thomas in The Horse Whisperer, 1998
  • Robert Redford receives an honorary Oscar, 2002Barbra Streisand presented the award to the ‘Actor, director, producer, creator of Sundance, inspiration to independent and innovative film-makers everywhere’ Robert Redford received an Honorary Award Oscar on 24 March 2002 at the 74th Academy Awards in Hollywood. Barbra Streisand presented the award to the ‘Actor, director, producer, creator of Sundance, inspiration to independent and innovative filmmakers everywhere.’
  • The Company You Keep, 2012Robert Redford and his wife Sibylle Szaggars at the Venice film festival in 2012. The couple were married in 2009 having been together since the 1990s Robert Redford and his wife Sibylle Szaggars attend the premiere of The Company You Keep at the 69th Venice Film Festival at the Palazzo del Cinema in Venice, Italy on 6 September 2012
  • All Is Lost, 2013Redford received a nomination for the Golden Globe for best actor for his role as a man, alone, adrift at sea Robert Redford in All is Lost, 2013
  • Captain America: The Winter Soldier, 2014Redford plays head of SHEILD, and sleeper Hydra agent, Alexander Pierce, alongside Chris Evans’ Captain America in the Marvel film Robert Redford and Chris Evans in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, 2014
  • President Barack Obama presents Redford with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, 2016This is the American nation’s highest civilian honour, awarded at a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington DC in 2016 US President Barack Obama presents actor and director Robert Redford with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honour, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on 22 November 2016
  • Robert Redford, 1936–2025 Robert Redford in 2010