2009 July, 17th

Phil Butler

Renowned actor and director Robert Redford was married to his girlfriend of 12 years, German artist Sibylle Szaggars. The surprise wedding took place in Szaggars’ home town of Hamburg over the weekend, according to the news.

Redford, 72, and Szaggars, 51, who have been dating since the early 90’s, shared a private ceremony with 30 guests at the Louis C. Jacob Hotel. Redford, one of America’s most famous and honored celebrities, had previously been married to Lola Van Wagenen frmo 1958 to 1985.

The couple lives together in Sundance, Utah, where their home and the world famous Sundance Film Festival is held.

Robert Redford captured the American movie goer’s imagination and popularity with his 1969 portrayal of The Sundance Kid in the movie “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid“, and became one of Hollywood’s top box office draws in the 70’s. An Academy Award winner, and one of the industry’s most creative producers and directors, Redford is notable not only for his acting prowess, sex appeal, and films, but as a businessman and activist.

The Sundance Film Festival, environmental activism, and efforts on behalf of Native Americans, along with his contribution to American culture, have solidified Redford’s legacy as one of the most popular and respected celebrities ever.

I first remember seeing Redford in the TV series “The Untouchables”, as well as some other notable early 60’s TV dramas. The Sundance Kid role was the one that brought Redford in focus for me and other movie fans.

Working beside film legend Paul Newman, in this as well as in The Sting, Redford exhibited a charisma, and a certain charm that became his trademark, as well as a part of the 70’s popular culture. Films like “The Way We Were”, “The Great Gatsby” and his Academy Award for directing “Ordinary People”, showcased Redford’s art and flexibility as one of the industry’s most accomplished individuals.

We want to congratulate Redford, his new bride, and their families – wishing them many happy years to come. I leave the reader with a nice clip, one which any movie fan of the 60’s will surely recognize.

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About the Author

Phil Butler is editor-in-chief of Everything PR and senior partner at Pamil Visions PR. He’s a widely cited authority on beta startups, search engines and public relations issues, and he has covered tech news since 2004. Phil wrote in the past for ReadWriteWeb, Mashable, Profy, SitePoint, Search Engine Journal, AltSearchEngines. Follow Phil on Twitter or send him an email at phil [at] pamil-visions [dot] com.

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