Jane Fonda honored her longtime friend and frequent co-star Robert Redford following the news that the legendary actor and director died Sept. 16 at age 89.
“It hit me hard this morning when I read that Bob was gone. I can’t stop crying,” Fonda, 87, said in a statement obtained by TODAY.com.
“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,” she added.
Redford and Fonda appeared together in the 1966 drama “The Chase.” The following year, they made movie magic in the classic 1967 rom-com “Barefoot in the Park,” playing mismatched newlyweds Paul, a buttoned-up lawyer, and Corie, his free-spirited wife.
The two teamed up to play lovers again in the 1979 Western romance “The Electric Horseman.” They reunited onscreen a final time to play aging neighbors who form a tender bond in the 2017 romantic drama “Our Souls at Night.”
It was during promotional interviews for that film that Fonda revealed she had “been in love” with Redford every time they’d been on set together.
“I realize that I’ve grown up because in the three previous movies, I was always in love with him. I fell in love every time,” she said during a March 2017 appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”
“So, if a day went by and he wouldn’t speak to me, I always took it personally,” she continued, adding, “Now, when he doesn’t talk to me, I’m just like, ‘Hey Bob, come on.’”
When Fonda appeared on TODAY in September 2017, she described reuniting onscreen with Redford like two hands slipping back into “comfortable gloves.”
“There’s something about him, besides the gorgeousness,” she said of her co-star. “He’s smart, he’s funny, we have a lot in common, we both like trees, and mountains and horses.
The same month, the two Oscar winners appeared together at the premiere of “Our Souls at Night” at the Venice Film Festival. While speaking to reporters, Fonda opened up about her decades-long attraction to Redford.
“In ‘Barefoot in the Park,’ I couldn’t keep my hands off of him,” she said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. “I was constantly forcing myself on him. In ‘Our Souls at Night,’ the dynamic of my character to his character was somewhat similar. I just love the fact that these films bookend our careers.”
“We played that young love just getting married (in ‘Barefoot’) and now we play old people love and old people sex,” Fonda continued, joking, “Although, in my opinion, (director Batra) Ritesh cut the sex scene too soon.”
“I live for sex scenes!” Fonda added. “He’s a great kisser. It was fun to kiss him in my 20s and then to kiss him again in my almost-80s.”
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
Allison Craig is a passionate sports writer and analyst with a deep love for game strategies, player performances, and the latest trends in the sports world. With years of experience covering football, basketball, tennis, and more, she delivers insightful analysis and engaging content for sports enthusiasts.
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