Robert Redford biography, photos, personal life, children, cause of death

Robert Redford Biography

Robert Redford – American actor, director, producer, and environmental activist, a Hollywood icon with magnetic charm and undeniable talent. Throughout his legendary career, he's starred in dozens of iconic films, founded the legendary Sundance Film Festival, and won an Oscar for directing his debut feature "Ordinary People."

Robert Redford in a brown jacket with a watch on his wrist leans on his hands and looks to the side — Robert Redford

Childhood and Family

Charles Robert Redford Jr. was born on August 18, 1936, in Santa Monica, California, to Martha Woodruff Redford (née Hart) from Texas and Charles Robert Redford Sr. from Rhode Island.

His mother died when he was just 18 – in 1955. His father, who started out as a milkman, eventually became an accountant and landed a job at Standard Oil, passing away in 1991. After Martha's death, Charles remarried. From this marriage, Robert gained a half-brother, William, who went on to pursue medical research.

Robert Redford as a child in a striped shirt with a short neat haircut, black and white photo — Robert Redford as a child

The family made weekly trips to the library. This voracious reading instilled in Robert a deep respect for the art of storytelling.

After World War II, the family moved to Van Nuys, California, where the future actor attended Van Nuys High School. The young man wasn't particularly fond of the place and called it a "cultural wasteland."

At age 11, Robert contracted polio. Fortunately, it was a mild case – the illness didn't affect his physical abilities. As a teenager, Bob, as his family called him, was a real troublemaker – he'd climb buildings and steal hubcaps around Hollywood, desperately trying to escape boredom. Overall, by his own account, he was a "funny-looking freckled kid with too many cowlicks" back then.

Education

After graduating high school in 1954, Redford enrolled at the University of Colorado in Boulder on a baseball scholarship and became a member of the Kappa Sigma fraternity. During his studies, he worked at The Sink restaurant. His portrait still hangs on the walls of the establishment today.

He spent a year and a half at the university before heavy drinking and skipping classes cost him his scholarship and got him kicked out. This was partly connected to his mother's death, which deeply traumatized the young man.

A black-and-white portrait of young Robert Redford in a suit and tie, looking directly at the camera. — Robert Redford in his youth

After getting expelled, he set off to travel through Europe. He lived in France, Spain, and Italy, staying in youth hostels, studying painting, and generally living a bohemian lifestyle.

Those year and a half in Europe completely changed Redford's worldview. He later recalled:

We lived communally, and I was being politically educated. I didn't understand anything. They asked me about the Algerian War, which was very relevant in France at the time, in the late 1950s. I was ashamed that I knew so little about my own country's politics.

Returning to the US in the late 1950s, Robert first studied painting at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, then switched to theatrical design. In 1958, he enrolled at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York, graduating in 1959.

Acting Career

Redford's theater career began in 1959 with the Broadway production "Tall Story." In 1963, he landed the lead role in Neil Simon's "Barefoot in the Park," which brought him Broadway fame.

Alongside theater, he was actively working in television on popular shows of the era: "Perry Mason," "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "The Twilight Zone," and "Route 66." His film debut came in 1962 with the war drama "War Hunt."

Black and white photo of young Robert Redford in military uniform standing by a tent, scene from the film "War Hunt" — Robert Redford in "War Hunt"

Real stardom came in 1969 with the western "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," where he starred alongside Paul Newman. It was Newman, the Old Hollywood star, who convinced the studio to cast the relatively unknown Redford as the Sundance Kid. The film became the year's biggest box office hit, the highest-grossing western in history at that point, and essentially made Redford a star.

Robert Redford and Paul Newman in cowboy hats and jackets standing side by side against a wall, posing for a photo — Robert Redford and Paul Newman in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid"

The 1970s became Robert Redford's golden decade. 1973 saw the release of two of his masterpieces: "The Way We Were" with Barbra Streisand and "The Sting," where he reunited with Newman. "The Sting" won seven Oscars out of ten nominations and earned Redford his first and only Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

Other iconic roles from that period include: "Jeremiah Johnson" (1972) – the actor's own favorite film, "The Candidate" (1972), "The Great Gatsby" (1974) with Mia Farrow, and "Three Days of the Condor" (1975) with Faye Dunaway.

Robert Redford in fur clothing and a beast head cap grilling meat over a campfire in the forest, scene from the film "Jeremiah Johnson" — Scene from "Jeremiah Johnson"

In 1976, he played journalist Bob Woodward in the political thriller "All the President's Men" alongside Dustin Hoffman – a film about the Watergate scandal. Redford personally bought the rights to this story for $450,000 after reading the articles by Woodward and Bernstein, the authors of the book that became the film's foundation.

His directorial debut came in 1980 with "Ordinary People," which earned him an Oscar for Best Director. The film won four Oscars total, including Best Picture.

Ordinary People Movie CLIP - Love Ends (1980)

Among his nine other directorial works, standouts include "A River Runs Through It" (1992) with Brad Pitt and "Quiz Show" (1994), which brought Redford Oscar nominations for both directing and Best Picture.

In 1981, the acclaimed actor founded the Sundance Institute to support young filmmakers, and in 1985 he launched the Sundance Festival, which became one of the world's most influential independent film festivals. The name references the Sundance Kid character, to whom Redford owes much of his fame.

Robert Redford in a suit stands on stage holding an Oscar — Robert Redford receives an Oscar for the film "Ordinary People"

Continuing his acting career, he appeared in such significant films as "Out of Africa" (1985) with Meryl Streep, "The Natural" (1984), "Sneakers" (1992), "An Unfinished Life" (2005), "Truth" (2015), and "The Old Man & the Gun" (2018) – a film that Redford himself called his farewell to acting.

Robert Redford's Personal Life

Redford has been married twice. He met his first wife, Lola Van Wagenen, in 1957 in Los Angeles when she was 17 and he was 20.

The couple secretly wed in Las Vegas on August 9, 1958, then held a ceremony at Lola's grandmother's house on September 12.

Robert Redford and Lola Van Wagenen, collage of two photos: wedding and later — Robert Redford and Lola Van Wagenen, his first wife

Lola, a Mormon from Provo, Utah, dropped out of college to move to New York with Robert. Redford later admitted: "I had to get married to save my life. That's how I felt at the time."

The couple had four children: Scott Anthony Redford (September 1, 1959 – November 17, 1959), Shauna Jean Redford (born November 15, 1960), David James "Jamie" Redford (May 5, 1962 – October 16, 2020), and Amy Hart Redford (born October 22, 1970).

Robert Redford, his wife Lola and their two children walking ahead — Robert Redford with his wife and children

Their firstborn Scott died from sudden infant death syndrome at just 2.5 months old and is buried at Provo City Cemetery in Utah. This tragedy forever changed the family and made Redford more serious about family values.

Daughter Shauna became an artist and married journalist Eric Schlosser, author of "Fast Food Nation," in 1985. Their first child was born in January 1991, making Redford a grandfather for the first time.

Son James became a screenwriter and documentary filmmaker, making films about environmental issues. He died of liver cancer in 2020 at age 58. Youngest daughter Amy became an actress, following in her father's footsteps.

The marriage to Lola lasted 27 years, but Redford's growing fame put strain on their relationship, and the couple divorced in 1985. "It was a mutual decision, and it was right to move on," the actor said. "We maintained great love, great affection, a wonderful friendship."

In 1996, at a ski resort ironically called Sundance, he met German artist Sibylle Szaggars, who was 20 years younger. They bonded over their passion for environmental protection and married on July 11, 2009.

Robert Redford in a tuxedo and Sibylle Szaggars in a blue lace dress pose on the red carpet surrounded by photographers — Robert Redford and Sibylle Szaggars

Environmental protection has long been Redford's main passion. He purchased a massive ranch (5,000 acres or 2,000 hectares) in Utah, where he raised horses and fought for wildlife conservation. He also campaigned to protect over 1.7 million acres (680,000 hectares) of Utah desert from development until it became protected territory by presidential decree in 1996.

The actor is also known as an avid skier, artist, and collector of Native American artwork.

Final Years and Death

In March 2025, 88-year-old Redford surprised fans by returning to the screen after a six-year hiatus. He appeared in the third season of the western "Dark Winds" in a small role as a prisoner playing chess with writer George Martin. Series star Zahn McClarnon noted: "I never thought I'd reach a point in my life where I'd know Robert Redford, let alone act in a scene with him."

Robert Redford in his mature years, close-up of his face, film still — "Dark Winds": one of Robert Redford's final roles

The chess scene contained a hidden reference to George Martin's slow pace in writing books – Redford's character says: "George, the whole world is waiting. Make your move!" hinting at fans' anticipation for the continuation of the "Game of Thrones" saga.

In 2025, Redford also served as narrator for the environmental project "The Way of Rain – Hope for Earth."

On September 16, 2025, Robert Redford passed away. He was 89 years old and died peacefully in his sleep at home, surrounded by loved ones. His passing marked the end of an entire era in American cinema, but the legacy of this actor, director, and champion of independent film will live on forever.

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