Jane Fonda confesses she was "always in love” with co-star Robert Redford
Jane Fonda has confessed she was "always in love” with co-star Robert Redford after hitting out at Oscars bosses over award ceremony snub.
Hollywood icon Jane Fonda has lashed out at Oscars chiefs after not being picked to present a tribute to legendary screen star, Robert Redford - with Barbra Streisand picked instead.
Fonda, 88, was overlooked for the role at Sunday's Oscars ceremony, with 83-year-old Streisand instead leading the section paying tribute to Redford, who passed away last year at the age of 89.
She said she believed her working relationship with the actor was stronger and that she should have helmed the presentation, having appeared alongside him in four movies; Tall Story, The Chase, Barefoot In The Park and The Electric Horseman. Streisand only co-starred in one film with Redford, 1973's The Way We Were.
"I want to know how come Streisand was up there doing that for Redford. She only made one movie with him, I made four," Fonda told Entertainment Tonight, adding how she was "always in love with him". "[He was] the most gorgeous human being and had such great values. He did a lot for movies - he lifted up independent movies," she went on.
Streisand honored Redford with a speech and singing performance during the awards show's In Memoriam segment. It came after Oscar-winner Redford died in his sleep in September, with Streisand saying she relished starring alongside him in the The Way We Were - once he finally agreed to do it.
"After I read the first script of The Way We Were, I could only imagine one man in the role and that was Robert Redford. But he turned it down because he said the character had no backbone," she said.
"He doesn't stand for anything - and he was right. So many drafts later, Bob finally agreed to do it. He was a brilliant, subtle actor, and we had a wonderful time playing off each other because we never quite knew what the other one was going to do in a scene."
She added: "He was thoughtful and bold. I called him a little intellectual cowboy who blazed his own trail. I miss him now more than ever."
As well as four Hollywood movies, Fonda and Redford also appeared in the 2017 Netflix film, Our Souls at Night.