Charles Robert Redford Jr. is an American actor and filmmaker. Redford is of English, Scottish, and Irish ancestry. He is popularly known for his commitment to environmental and political causes, and founding the Sundance Institute and Film Festival in Utah which provides a workshop for young filmmakers each summer. Robert Redford has received numerous accolades throughout his career and in 2014 was named by Time as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Redford’s television career began in 1960, including an appearance on The Twilight Zone in 1962.
Redford was married to Lola Van Wagenen. They had four children together, Scott, Shauna, James, and Amy. Redford and Van Wagenen divorced in 1985. In 2009, Redford married his longtime partner, Sibylle Szaggars.
Robert Redford’s Marriages
Throughout his life, Robert Redford has only been married twice. His first marriage was to Lola Van Wagenen. They met in 1957 in Los Angeles shortly after Redford came back from a trip to France. At the time, he was living in Paris while studying art, culture, and international affairs. The couple quickly fell in love and on August 9, 1958, they tied the knot in Las Vegas.
The couple had four children together, Scott, Shauna, James, and Amy. The eldest son, Scott, died two months after his birth due to sudden infant death syndrome. James battled with liver cancer for a year and passed away in October 2020. In 1985, after 27 years together and four kids, Redford and Van Wagenen divorced. In the late 1990s, Redford met his second spouse, Sibylle. They were together for 13 years. In July 2009, the longtime couple got married at the Louis C. Jacob Hotel in Hamburg, Germany.
Who Is Sibylle Szaggars?
Sibylle Szaggars, the second wife of Robert Redford, was born in Hamburg, Germany, on April 9, 1957. In the 1980s, she moved to London and started her career as an artist. She’s a visual artist, who has explored several different mediums such as oil painting, photography, and performance art. Szaggars has been a visual artist for over forty years. Her work has been displayed worldwide, including in Europe, Monaco, Peru, Singapore, Japan, and the United States.
Szaggars was featured as part of the Bureau of Overseas Building Operations’s “Art In Embassies” program. Some of her work was also put on display in the U.S. Embassy in Suriname. Sibylle is also an environmental activist. Her passion for being an environmental activist began when she was little. She spent a lot of time travelling with her family and learning about indigenous cultures and ancient lands. In 2015, Szaggars founded a non-profit organization, The Way of the Rain. It is dedicated to developing, producing, and performing educational and artistic performances.
Who Is Lola Van Wagenen?
Lola Van Wagenen is an American historian and activist. She was born in Provo, Utah, on December 12, 1938. Lola graduated from Vermont College in 1982. In 1984, she earned her master’s degree in Public History at New York University. Ten years later she completed her Ph.D. in American History at New York University. In October 2012 she received the Distinguished Alumni/Alumnae Achievement Award from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at New York University.
In 1970, Lola Van Wagenen co-founded a nonprofit educational organization, Consumer Action Now. Then in 1995 she also co-founded Clio Visualizing History, Inc. to promote history education. She produced documentaries like The State of Marriage in 2015 and Miss America in 2002. Following her divorce from Redford, Van Wagenen moved on with her second husband. On July 17, 2002, she married George Burrill. He is the founder of the international development firm ARD. Burrill is the Honorary Consul from New Zealand to Vermont.
How Has Redford’s Marriages Influenced His Life And Career?
Robert Redford and his current wife, Sibylle Szaggars, have plenty in common. For one they are both artists in their own way. Redford and Szaggars are also both environmental activists. They have spent much of their relationship working alongside each other to protect the environment and advocating for environmental change through Sibylle’s nonprofit organization.
During his marriage to Van Wagenen, Redford’s career seemed to have kicked off by starring in 1969’s Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, 1972 he went on to appear in The Candidate, 1973’s The Way We Were, 1976’s All the President’s Men, 1984’s The Natural and many more before their divorce in 1985. Redford’s marriage to the State of Marriage executive producer certainly influenced their children’s career choices. James Redford was a writer and producer, while Amy Redford was an actress, director, and producer.
Lesser-Known Facts About Their Relationships?
Lola Van Wagenen, who was the first wife of Robert Redford, was raised in a Mormon family. Five weeks after their wedding in Las Vegas, a formal Mormon ceremony took place at Lola’s grandmother’s home. However, as an adult, she has explored other sources of religious and philosophical thought.
Redford and his second wife Sibylle Szaggars have many things in common. The couple share a passion for environmentalism. A fun fact is that Robert Redford serves as the vice president of Szaggars’ non-profit organization, The Way of the Rain.
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