In Pictures: The life of Oscar-winning director and activist Robert Redford

RSS

Syndicated Content

Published: Tue 16 Sep 2025, 9:53 PM

Last updated: Tue 16 Sep 2025, 10:16 PM

By PA Reporters

Actor and director Robert Redford, who has died aged 89, was known as much for his activism as his Oscar-winning films.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the 1970s Hollywood golden boy’s life in pictures.

Actors Robert Redford, Elizabeth Ashley and Kurt Kaznar — Robert Redford, Elizabeth Ashley and Kurt Kaznar backstage on the opening night of Barefoot In The Park in New York on October 23 1963 (Marty Lederhandler/AP) Photo by ML Marty Lederhandler

Director Sydney Pollack with Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand during filming in 1972 — Director Sydney Pollack with Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand during the filming of The Way We Were in New York in 1972 (Marty Lederhandler/AP) Photo by Marty Lederhandler

Director Robert Redford on set during the filming of A River Runs Through It in 1991 (Linda Best/Bozeman Daily Chronicle via AP) Photo by Linda Best

Robert Redford with director Sydney Pollack — Redford with director Sydney Pollack at the Cannes Film Festival in 1972 (Jean Jacques Levy/AP) Photo by Jean Jacques Levy

Redford became an international star in the 1970s, with his leading roles in Barefoot In The Park, with Jane Fonda, and Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, in which he starred opposite Paul Newman.

Robert Redford holding his Oscar — Redford holding the Oscar he won for best director for Ordinary People at the Academy Awards in 1981 (AP) Photo by Uncredited

Robert Redford — Redford poses near one of his Sundance Film Festival banners in Park City, Utah, in 2003 (Douglas C Pizac/AP) Photo by Douglas C. Pizac

Robert Redford with his wife Sibylle Szaggars — Redford with his wife Sibylle Szaggars arriving for the premiere of The Company You Keep at the Venice Film Festival in 2012 (Andrew Medichini/AP) Photo by Andrew Medichini

He was nominated for an Oscar for his role in 1973’s The Sting, which reunited him with Newman, and starred opposite Faye Dunaway in Three Days Of The Condor and Barbra Streisand in The Way We Were, before taking on the role of Washington Post journalist Bob Woodward in Watergate film All The President’s Men in 1976, opposite Dustin Hoffman as Carl Bernstein.

George W Bush, then-first lady Laura Bush, Robert Redford and Tina Turner in 2004 — Former US president George W Bush, then-first lady Laura Bush, Redford and Tina Turner at the Kennedy Centre Honours Gala in Washington in December 2004 (Evan Vucci/AP) Photo by Evan Vucci

Actors Michael Pena, Robert Redford, Tom Cruise and Andrew Garfield — Actors Michael Pena, Redford, Tom Cruise and Andrew Garfield at the screening of Lions For Lambs at the Rome Film festival in 2007 (Andrew Medichini/AP) Photo by Andrew Medichini

Barack Obama presenting the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Robert Redford — Then-president Barack Obama presenting the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Redford during a ceremony at the White House in 2016 (Andrew Harnik/AP) Photo by Andrew Harnik

Redford was a passionate environmentalist and climate activist and also an advocate for independent cinema, which led to his creation of the Sundance Institute, known for its annual Sundance Film Festival.