Barbra Streisand said working with Robert Redford on the 1973 romance The Way We Were was “exciting, intense, and pure joy” in a tribute to the late actor.
Like the characters they played in Sydney Pollack’s film, Streisand said she and Redford were “such opposites.” Though rather than being divided on cultural and political lines like Katie Morosky and Hubbell Gardiner, Streisand quipped: “He was from the world of horses; I was allergic to them!”
“Yet,” Streisand continued, “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,” Streisand said. She went on to recall the last time they saw each other, saying: “He came to lunch, we discussed art and decided to send each other our first drawings.”
Streisand ended her tribute by calling Redford “one of a kind,” adding, “I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with him.”
The Way We Were was a massive success when it arrived in 1972, earning six Oscar nominations, including Best Actress for Streisand. It’s perhaps best known for the Streisand-sung theme song, “The Way We Were” — written by Marvin Hamlisch, and Alan and Marilyn Bergman — which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.
In her memoir, Streisand recalled the herculean effort that went into convincing Redford to play Hubbell in The Way We Were. The actor initially turned down the role and subsequent “negotiations went down to the wire,” Streisand wrote (via Variety).
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It was while she was filming Up the Sandbox in Africa that Streisand got word that Redford had finally agreed to do the film. “I was so thrilled!” she wrote. “The courtship had been tough, but Bob’s reluctance had a big influence on the script and ultimately resulted in a richer, more interesting character.”
Redford died at his home in Utah Tuesday morning, Sept. 16, at the age of 89. His death has elicited tributes from many of his friends, admirers, and peers, including Meryl Streep, Jane Fonda, John Turturro, and Ron Howard.
From Rolling Stone US
