Barbra Streisand Honors Robert Redford and Their Iconic Film The Way We Were

Barbra Streisand is mourning the loss of her friend and co-star Robert Redford, who died on September 16 at his home in Sundance, Utah. He was 89.

Streisand, who shared the screen with Redford in the 1973 classic The Way We Were, remembered him as “one of the finest actors ever.”

“Every day on set was exciting, intense, and pure joy,” she said. “Bob was charismatic, intelligent, intense-always interesting. The last time I saw him, when he came to lunch, we talked about art and agreed to exchange our first drawings. He was one of a kind, and I feel so grateful I had the chance to work with him.”

Directed by Sydney Pollack, The Way We Were paired Streisand and Redford in one of cinema’s most enduring romances. Streisand played Katie Morosky, a politically driven idealist, opposite Redford’s Hubbell Gardiner, a carefree writer. Their love story, set against the social upheavals of the mid-20th century, became a cultural touchstone.

The title track, sung by Streisand, became just as iconic. Winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song, The Way We Were remains one of her signature ballads-still instantly recognizable more than 50 years later.

Redford’s career stretched across six decades, from breakout roles in Barefoot in the Park and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid to The Sting, All the President’s Men, and Out of Africa. Beyond acting, he left an indelible mark as a director and as founder of the Sundance Institute, championing independent film.

For Streisand, though, the loss is deeply personal. Her tribute reflects her admiration for Redford’s artistry and also the warmth of a friendship that lasted decades. For audiences The Way We Were is a timeless part of cinematic history.