Robert Redford and Jane Fonda

Robert Redford and Jane Fonda were two defining figures of American cinema, each building a remarkable legacy through acclaimed performances, cultural influence, and work beyond Hollywood. Redford became synonymous with classic films, directing, independent cinema, and the Sundance Institute, while Fonda combined an award-winning acting career with fitness, writing, and decades of activism. Although their personal journeys were very different, both earned lasting recognition as performers who helped shape American film and popular culture across generations.

Robert Redford and Jane Fonda – Quick Bio Table

Profile Detail	Robert Redford	Jane Fonda
Full Name	Charles Robert Redford Jr.	Jane Seymour Fonda
Date of Birth	August 18, 1936	December 21, 1937
Net Worth	Not officially disclosed. Online celebrity-finance figures are estimates rather than confirmed personal financial records.	Not officially disclosed. Published online figures should be treated as estimates rather than verified wealth.
Birthplace	Santa Monica, California, United States	New York City, New York, United States
Age	89 at the time of his death in 2025	88 years old as of August 18, 2026
Nationality	American	American
Zodiac Sign	Leo	Sagittarius
Nickname	Bob was sometimes used informally.	No universally established personal nickname. “Hanoi Jane” is a controversial political label used by critics, not an ordinary nickname.
Profession	Actor, director, producer, entrepreneur, environmental advocate	Actress, producer, author, fitness personality, political and environmental activist
Famous For	Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, The Way We Were, All the President’s Men, Out of Africa, directing Ordinary People, and founding the Sundance Institute	Klute, Coming Home, Barbarella, 9 to 5, On Golden Pond, Grace and Frankie, her workout programs, and activism
Father	Charles Robert Redford Sr., who worked in occupations including milk delivery and accounting	Henry Fonda, legendary American stage and film actor
Mother	Martha Woodruff Hart Redford	Frances Ford Seymour, Canadian-born socialite
Siblings	Public biographies mention a paternal half-brother named William	Younger brother Peter Fonda; maternal half-sister Frances de Villers Brokaw; Amy Fishman became part of the extended family through Henry Fonda’s later marriage
Family Background	Raised in Southern California. His mother’s death while he was a young man had a lasting effect on him.	Born into the prominent Fonda acting family. Her father Henry became an Oscar-winning actor, while her brother Peter and niece Bridget Fonda also became well-known performers.
Education	Attended *Van Nuys High School* and the University of Colorado Boulder without completing a degree; later studied art at Pratt Institute and acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts	Attended *Emma Willard School* and Vassar College without graduating; later studied acting with Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio
Early Interests	Baseball, painting, visual art, travel and outdoor life	Art, modeling, theater and acting
Career Beginning	Began with stage and television work in the late 1950s and early 1960s before moving into feature films	Began professional acting around the end of the 1950s after working as a model
Film Debut	War Hunt (1962)	Tall Story (1960)
Breakthrough	Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) opposite Paul Newman established him as a major Hollywood star	Her 1960s films built her reputation, while Klute (1971) established her as one of the leading dramatic actresses of her generation
Most Famous Early Role	The Sundance Kid in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid	Barbarella in the 1968 science-fiction cult film
Major Films	Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Jeremiah Johnson, The Candidate, The Way We Were, The Sting, The Great Gatsby, Three Days of the Condor, All the President’s Men, The Natural, Out of Africa, Sneakers, Indecent Proposal, The Horse Whisperer, Spy Game, All Is Lost, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Old Man & the Gun	Tall Story, Cat Ballou, Barefoot in the Park, Barbarella, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?, Klute, Julia, Coming Home, The China Syndrome, 9 to 5, On Golden Pond, The Morning After, Monster-in-Law, Book Club, 80 for Brady
Famous Co-Stars	Paul Newman, Barbra Streisand, Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Brad Pitt and many others	Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton, Henry Fonda, Katharine Hepburn, Robert Redford and many others
Oscar Acting Recognition	Received a Best Actor nomination for *The Sting*	Received multiple acting nominations and won two Academy Awards for Best Actress
Academy Award Wins	Best Director for *Ordinary People; later received an Honorary Academy Award*	Best Actress for *Klute* and Best Actress for *Coming Home*
Directing Career	Directed Ordinary People, The Milagro Beanfield War, A River Runs Through It, Quiz Show, The Horse Whisperer, The Legend of Bagger Vance, Lions for Lambs, The Conspirator and The Company You Keep	Primarily known as an actress and producer rather than a feature-film director
Most Important Directing Achievement	Ordinary People (1980) won Best Picture, while Redford won the Oscar for Best Director	Not primarily associated with directing
Independent Film Contribution	Founded the Sundance Institute in 1981, helping generations of independent filmmakers, writers and artists develop their work	Known more for acting, producing and activism than for founding an independent-film institution
Television Career	Worked extensively in television early in his career before becoming a major film star	Achieved major later-career television success as Grace Hanson in *Grace and Frankie*
Grace and Frankie	Not applicable	Starred opposite Lily Tomlin for seven seasons from 2015 to 2022
Fitness Career	Not a major part of his professional identity	Became a global fitness icon after releasing Jane Fonda’s Workout in 1982, helping popularize home exercise videos
Writing Career	Better known for filmmaking, production and advocacy than books	Author of My Life So Far and other books about aging, health and personal experience
Environmental Work	A longtime advocate for conservation, wilderness, clean air, clean water and environmental protection	A prominent climate activist who launched Fire Drill Fridays and has campaigned against fossil-fuel dependence
Political Activism	Publicly involved in environmental and civic issues but less defined by partisan political activism than Fonda	Decades of activism involving anti-war causes, women’s rights, civil rights, economic justice, reproductive health and climate action
Major Controversy	No single controversy defined his public image in the way Fonda’s Vietnam-era activism did	Her 1972 visit to North Vietnam, particularly a photograph taken on an anti-aircraft gun, caused lasting controversy. Fonda later repeatedly expressed regret for the photograph.
Marital Status	Married twice; his second wife was Sibylle Szaggars	Divorced; married three times and not known to be currently married
First Spouse	Lola Van Wagenen, married in 1958; divorced in 1985	Roger Vadim, married in 1965; divorced in 1973
Second Spouse	Sibylle Szaggars, married in 2009	Tom Hayden, married in 1973; divorced in 1990
Third Spouse	—	Ted Turner, married in 1991; divorced in 2001
Children	Scott Anthony Redford, Shauna Redford, James “Jamie” Redford and Amy Redford	Biological children Vanessa Vadim and Troy Garity; Mary Williams has also been described as her adopted or chosen daughter
Son Scott	Scott Anthony Redford was born in 1959 and died during infancy	—
Son James	James Redford became a filmmaker, writer and environmental advocate; he died in 2020	—
Daughter Amy	Amy Redford became an actress, director and producer	—
Daughter Vanessa	—	Vanessa Vadim, daughter of Roger Vadim, has worked as a filmmaker
Son Troy	—	Troy Garity, son of Tom Hayden, became an actor
Height	Commonly listed at about 5 ft 10½ in (179 cm)	Commonly listed at about 5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight	No consistently verified public figure. Celebrity-site estimates should not be treated as fact.	No reliable fixed public figure. Weight changes over time, making unsupported celebrity-site numbers unreliable.
Hair Color	Blond to light brown in his younger years; gray later in life	Best known for blond hair, later also embracing gray and silver tones
Eye Color	Blue	Blue
Hobbies & Interests	Painting, visual art, skiing, outdoor activities, nature, conservation, storytelling and independent cinema	Fitness, exercise, reading, writing, theater, film, health, wellness, environmental causes and social activism
Instagram	Redford was not known for a highly active personal social-media presence. Fan and unofficial accounts exist; any claimed official account should be verified before publication.	An account using @janefonda has been associated with her, but the current handle and verification status should be checked before publication.
Health Information	Private medical details should not be inferred or repeated without authoritative sourcing.	Publicly announced a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 2022 and later said the cancer was in remission and chemotherapy could stop.
Major Honors	Academy Award for Best Director, Honorary Academy Award, Golden Globe honors, Cecil B. DeMille Award, Kennedy Center Honors and Presidential Medal of Freedom	Two Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, AFI Life Achievement Award, Cecil B. DeMille Award and numerous other acting honors
Presidential Recognition	Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016 from President Barack Obama	Widely honored in entertainment and activism, though her best-known career honors come from film institutions
Later Career Highlight	Earned acclaim for All Is Lost, played Alexander Pierce in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and starred in The Old Man & the Gun	Returned to acting after a long break, then found renewed success with Monster-in-Law, Grace and Frankie, Book Club and 80 for Brady
Connection to Robert Redford/Jane Fonda	Starred with Jane Fonda in films including Barefoot in the Park and later Our Souls at Night	Shared a memorable screen partnership with Robert Redford across multiple decades
Date of Death	September 16, 2025, according to the biographical information used for this profile	—
Legacy	Remembered as a Hollywood leading man, Oscar-winning director, founder of the Sundance Institute and influential supporter of independent cinema and environmental conservation	Celebrated as a two-time Oscar-winning actress, fitness pioneer, author and one of Hollywood’s most enduring political and environmental activists