BARBARA’S CRUSH ON ROBERT
They’re both screen legends in their own right, so when BARBRA STREISAND (80) and ROBERT REDFORD (86) were cast as love interests in the 1973 movie The Way We Were everyone expected sparks to fly.
And boy, did they – but not in a match-madein-heaven kind of way.
In a new book The Way They Were: How Epic Battles and Bruised Egos Brought a Classic Hollywood Love Story to the Screen, writer Robert Hofler reveals that Robert didn’t think the Funny Girl star was a serious actress, and he felt she’d be difficult and controlling on set.
“She’ll direct herself. It’ll never work,” Robert reportedly told director Sydney Pollack.
“She’s not going to sing, is she?” the actor asked. “I (don’t) want her to sing in the middle of the movie.”
Despite his aversion to her, Barbra, who already had a reputation for having affairs with her leading men, was said to be “infatuated” and “mesmerised” by Robert’s good looks – to the point where he resorted to wearing two pairs of underpants during a sex scene “to protect himself” from Barbs, who wore a skimpy bikini.
The scene was supposed to be a quick single take, Hofler writes, but to Redford’s annoyance it dragged on for a couple more takes.
He reportedly eventually lost his patience and Sydney had no choice but to inform his leading lady, “I think we’ve got it”.
Barbra would eventually walk away with an
Oscar nomination for her role. The success of the movie spurred talks of a sequel for which both actors were reportedly offered $8 million (then R6,7m). Robert, however, wasn’t keen and the project was scrapped.