The news came at the crack of dawn: in his mountain retreat in Utah, Robert Redford has passed away at the age of 89. The legendary actor and director died on September 16, 2025, at his home in Sundance, “the place he loved, surrounded by his loved ones.” Thus departs one of Hollywood’s greatest legends, the eternal golden boy of the 1970s, winner of two Oscars, narrator of unforgettable stories, and passionate defender of nature. His passing leaves a trail of indelible memories in cinema and in the snow-capped peaks he loved so much.
The star who shone in Hollywood
With his captivating smile and natural talent, Redford conquered Hollywood in the second half of the 20th century. He rose to fame with timeless classics such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) and The Sting (1973), which defined an era. In the 1970s, he dominated the box office with consecutive hits such as The Candidate (1972), The Way We Were (1973), and All the President’s Men (1976), capping off the decade with the Oscar for Best Director in 1980 for Ordinary People. Whether playing a charismatic outlaw in the Wild West alongside Paul Newman or a courageous journalist investigating the Watergate scandal, Redford demonstrated a unique versatility and charisma on screen.
During his illustrious career spanning more than five decades, Redford also stepped behind the camera, directing acclaimed films and elevating independent cinema to new heights. He was the founder of the Sundance Film Festival, an initiative born out of his desire to give a voice to emerging filmmakers outside the major studio system. “For me, the word to emphasize is ‘independence’… I thought, ‘maybe I can devote my energies to giving these people a chance,’”Redford himself explained when recalling the genesis of Sundance. What began in the late 1970s as a modest workshop for young filmmakers in the mountains of Utah has grown over the years into the world’s most important independent film festival. In 2002, the Hollywood Academy recognized his multifaceted career by awarding him an honorary Oscar, praising him as
“an actor, director, producer, creator of Sundance, and inspiration to independent and innovative filmmakers around the world.”
Few figures have left such a deep mark on the seventh art as Robert Redford.
Sundance: art, skiing, and nature in one place
Robert Redford turned his Sundance Mountain Resort into a paradise that combines nature, art, and winter sports: “Sundance is an artistic community, a recreational community, a community of people who appreciate the beauty of nature and feel a responsibility to preserve it,” said the actor about the spirit of this place.
Redford’s connection to the mountains of Utah began long before his Hollywood fame. In 1961, newly married and with dreams to fulfill, he bought two acres of land in Provo Canyon, at the foot of the snow-capped peaks of Timp Haven. There he built a small log cabin where he lived with his family, embracing the simple mountain lifestyle while shooting his first films. In 1969, that former ski resort was renamed Sundance Mountain Resort, named after the outlaw Sundance Kid, whom Redford played in the movies. From the beginning, Redford had a clear conservation philosophy for his alpine retreat: “develop a little and preserve a lot.” He rejected offers from big investors who dreamed of covering the valley with condominiums and excessive expansion, keeping Sundance untouched, intimate, and in harmony with the natural environment. Develop very little and preserve a lot became the maxim of the place and the actor’s environmental legacy.
Under his tutelage for more than half a century, Sundance became more than just a ski resort: it became a crossroads between culture and nature. Redford founded the Sundance Institute there, the seedbed of his famous film festival, integrating art workshops and screenings with mountain activities.
“Sundance is a magical place: we bring together the power of art, community, and respect for the environment,”
he used to say to describe the unique symbiosis that flourished there. It is no coincidence that it was in this same setting that Redford also found the love of his second wife, the painter Sibylle Szaggars, whom he met while she was skiing at Sundance in 1996.
The resort was, in a way, the physical embodiment of Redford’s spirit: creativity, adventure, and respect for the land fused into one enclave. After decades of dedication, and as we published in I Love Ski in January 2021, Redford made the difficult decision to sell Sundance Mountain Resort to new owners, seeking to ensure its continuity and essence in the future.
“Change is inevitable, and we knew that, at the right time and with the right people, we could make the transition,” he announced when closing the deal with two investment firms, emphasizing that these new owners shared “the values and interest in maintaining the unique character of the resort, honoring its history, community, and natural beauty.” Even as he parted with his mountain “home,” Redford ensured that his legacy of sustainability and genuine charm would endure. In fact, the resort’s current managers have respected that vision: they have even announced the construction of a new high-speed chairlift named Electric Horseman (in honor of one of Redford’s films) for next season, paying tribute to the man who gave Sundance its soul. Redford’s spirit thus lives on in every corner of that Utah canyon: in the whisper of the wind through the pines, in the laughter of skiers descending its slopes, and in the guitar notes that echo in the Owl Bar on winter nights.
A passion for skiing on and off screen
Robert Redford brought his passion for snow to the big screen by playing an Olympic skier in Downhill Racer (1969), a sports drama that has become a cult film for ski lovers and is undoubtedly one of the best winter movies.
In addition to living the mountain life in his personal life, Redford immortalized the world of skiing on the big screen. In Downhill Racer, he played an ambitious Olympic racer facing the glories and hardships of competition. Although it was a modest box office success upon its release, over time this film has come to be considered one of the most iconic films about competitive skiing, showing both the glamour and the harshness behind the life of a skier. It was not easy to make: Redford personally insisted on producing it, fighting against the skepticism of the studios, which doubted the commercial appeal of a film about skiing. His tenacity paid off in an authentic work that today inspires many winter athletes.
Outside of fiction, Redford’s mark on the skiing community is profound. Elite skiers such as Lindsey Vonn have paid tribute to him following his death, recognizing how he brought the sport to the general public. “Thank you for making ski racing really cool,” Olympic champion Vonn wrote in her farewell message, revealing that Redford had followed her career with interest since its inception. For generations of athletes, Redford was more than a movie star: he was a passionate ambassador for mountain life. Not only did Downhill Racer inspire skiers, but Redford himself was often seen at the Sundance ski resort, strapping on his skis and gliding down the snowy slopes of his beloved resort with his children. His genuine love for skiing and nature transcended the screen, inspiring many to discover the magic of gliding through the snow under the open sky.
Legacy of a conservationist skier
Robert Redford leaves behind an exceptional legacy, woven with threads of cinema, art, and ecological awareness. His name is written alongside the great legends of Hollywood, but also in the history of the mountains he defended. He inspired a whole generation of independent filmmakers to pursue their creative vision outside the commercial mainstream, while demonstrating that tourism development can coexist with environmental preservation.
“Our commitment to Sundance has always been to develop very little and preserve a lot,”
he said of his philosophy of life. That simple but powerful idea sums up his stance on the world and will continue to guide those of us who share his love of nature.
Today Hollywood mourns one of its favorite sons, and in the mountains of Utah the wind seems to whisper a warm farewell. But far from fading, Robert Redford’s star will shine forever in every screening of his films and in every golden sunset over the peaks of Sundance. His life was a tribute to the beauty of storytelling and protecting natural paradises, and that tribute will live on every time a viewer is moved by his films or a skier stops to contemplate the untouched landscape from the top of a mountain. Thank you, Bob Redford, for the stories and for the dreams. Thank you for reminding us that, in cinema as in life, we must know how to preserve what matters.
