Robert Redford — The Sundance Kid

Robert Redford, an iconic American actor, director, producer, and champion of independent film, died on September 16, 2025, at his home in Sundance, Utah, at the age of 89. He passed away surrounded by those he loved.

His passing is made all the more poignant by the fact that I just finished reading his biography, on the heels of Newman’s, and because Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was my favorite film of all time.

Born Charles Robert Redford Jr. in Santa Monica, California, Redford first pursued painting before turning to acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. By the 1960s, he had become a rising star, but one film would etch him permanently into the history of cinema.

The Sundance Kid

In 1969, Redford co-starred with Paul Newman in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, a film that became a touchstone for an entire generation. Playing the laconic gunslinger Sundance alongside Newman’s quick-witted Butch, Redford helped redefine what a Western could be. Gone was the stiff, stoic cowboy archetype; in its place came humor, camaraderie, and a sense of two outlaws both running from and laughing at fate.

The film’s blend of comedy, tragedy, and adventure created a new kind of Western — one that embraced irony without losing its heart. Redford’s quiet menace with a…