Robert Redford's Age Gap With His Second Wife Sibylle Was So Obvious In These Pics

Despite his status as an on-screen heartthrob that Jane Fonda couldn't wait to kiss, Robert Redford didn't have a big ego. When he first met his second wife, artist Sibylle Szaggars, he thought it was a plus that she wasn't swept up by fandom. "It began as two human beings meeting each other and finding a connection as two human beings, rather than being colored by success," Redford later recalled to YoungArts in 2014. However, age was another notable difference between Redford and Szaggars. 

Redford was born in August 1936, and Szaggars was born in April 1957. While she was a little kid, three of Redford's four children were born. Even so, Redford saw their almost 21-year gap as a positive. "I still have energy. When that starts to shut down, I might start to think about age," he informed AARP in 2011.

As far as the visual aspects of aging were concerned, Redford was unbothered and adverse to plastic surgery. "So what if my face is falling apart? I don't give a d***," Redford groused In 2002 (via Independent). "People should preserve their time in history. I'm happy to make the best of what I've got." When Redford died in 2025 at age 89, his legacy included impressive acting and directing credits, the Sundance Institute, and numerous environmental preservation efforts. Much of the time, Szaggars was by her husband's side. And while Redford wouldn't have minded, their age gap was clearly noticeable at these events.

When Robert Redford and Sibylle Szaggars stepped out at the 2013 New York Festival, the disparity in their ages was accidentally magnified by his choice of accessories. While Szaggars' beaded clutch was a chic addition, Redford's eyeglasses were a major throwback. The dark circular lenses were dead ringers for the specs that silent film actor Harold Lloyd famously sported in the 1920s. Even though vintage styles were hot that year, these specs just accentuated his age. Redford would've been better off sporting one of the year's other trends, like a rectangular shape with colorful frames.   

In 2005, before Robert Redford and Sibylle Szaggars married, the couple attended an event at the Kennedy Center. Once again, Redford's wireframe glasses added years to the then-69-year-old-actor. The oversized lenses gave grandpa vibes — a fact accentuated by the presence of Redford's actual grandkids., including Dylan Redford, who grew up to be his twin. The actor's oldest grandchildren were born in the 1990s, so Szaggars was young enough to be their mom. Although Redford's coppery strands fit right in with his relatives, the white sideburns were a definite giveaway that he's the senior member by several decades.

This photo from 2021 marked Robert Redford's final public appearance. Redford was 85 at the time, Sibylle Szaggars was 64, and the difference in their appearances is noticeable. For starters, Redford's earlobe is pretty prominent compared to his decades-younger self, and this sagging tissue is a sign of aging. In addition, Redford's all-white outfit washes out his fair skin, giving him an almost gray-ish tint to his complexion. Given that Redford died four years later of undisclosed causes, it's possible that health issues might have impacted his appearance in this photo. 

When Sibylle Szaggars and Robert Redford traveled to Paris in 2019, the contrast in their faces was notable. While some of the differences could have been related to focal points, in other pics where the focus is sharper, Szaggars' skin still looked dewy and unwrinkled. As for this photo, the lighting emphasizes every line in Redford's face. Although the actor never disclosed his skin care routine, it appears that he may not have been a regular sunscreen user. As far back as 1999, one dermatologist had already remarked on the sun's damaging impact on Redford's face.

Like Sibylle Szaggars, Alec Baldwin is also over two decades younger than Robert Redford. When they posed for a picture at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, Redford's aging visage was magnified by standing between them. Compared to his companions, Redford's skin looks noticeably lined. The actor's strawberry blonde locks may be contributing to the disconnect, since Redford's face doesn't seem to match his more youthful-appearing hair. In addition, hands can spotlight aging even more, and here Redford's hand looks red and weather-beaten. But hey, he's 84 in this pic — by that measure, he looks amazing.