The death of Robert Redford prompted an outpouring of memories from across Hollywood. Stars including Brad Pitt, who once called a film they made together the most disappointing of his career, and Scarlett Johansson, who recalled a piece of advice he gave her as a child actor, shared personal tributes. But some of the most memorable stories come from Redford’s time working with Barbra Streisand on the 1973 romantic classic “The Way We Were.”
Robert Redford’s Barbra Streisand hesitation
According to “The Way They Were,” a behind-the-scenes book by Robert Hofler, Redford had two big reservations about the project: working with Streisand and singing on camera. He suspected, correctly as Streisand later admitted, that she was romantically interested in him. As a married father of four, he wanted to keep their relationship strictly professional.
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Ironically, the film would go on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song for its unforgettable theme, “The Way We Were.”
Redford’s rules: Two pairs of underwear, no touching
Redford was so determined to maintain distance that he demanded to wear two pairs of underwear during their bedroom scenes to avoid close contact. Early in production, he refused to touch Streisand at all and even asked the writers to change the line “this time will be better” so no one would think he had bedroom issues in real life.
A rocky set with a happy ending
Director Sydney Pollack and his team went to great lengths to secure Redford’s participation, even offering him a salary 20 percent higher than Streisand’s. Despite the tension, the film came together, and the chemistry between the two stars eventually blossomed on screen. Their friendship grew as well, turning “The Way We Were” into one of the defining romantic dramas of the 1970s.
Streisand’s heartfelt goodbye to Redford
In her farewell message, Streisand fondly recalled their time together. “Every day on the set of The Way We Were was exciting, intense and pure joy,” she said. “We were such opposites: he was from the world of horses; I was allergic to them! Yet, we kept trying to find out more about each other, just like the characters in the movie. Bob was charismatic, intelligent, intense, always interesting— and one of the finest actors ever. The last time I saw him, when he came to lunch, we discussed art and decided to send each other our first drawings. He was one of a kind and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with him.”
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