AceShowbiz - Jane Fonda appeared at the opening night of the 2026 TCM Classic Film Festival to celebrate her and Robert Redford’s 1967 film Barefoot in the Park, which opened the event at the TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX on April 30.

During the festival, Fonda took the opportunity to address comments she made earlier about the Oscars In Memoriam segment honoring Redford. In March, at the Vanity Fair Oscar party, she jokingly questioned why Barbra Streisand performed a tribute to Redford given that they had only acted together in one film, while she herself had starred with him in four. She told Entertainment Tonight, “I want to know how come Streisand was up there doing that for Redford? She only made one movie with him; I made four! I have more to say.”

However, at the TCM Classic Film Festival on Thursday, Fonda clarified her remarks during a conversation with Ben Mankiewicz. She explained, “I thought I was being funny,” and praised the tribute, saying it was “fabulous” to have Streisand perform the iconic song “The Way We Were,” the title track from the 1973 romantic drama directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Redford and Streisand. She added, “Bob would have liked it.”

The discussion then turned to Fonda’s admiration for Redford. She recalled their first meeting on the 1966 film The Chase, when both were married. She asked him, “Do you ever have affairs?” to which he responded, “Well, if I was going to have an affair, it would be with somebody that was like a hooker.” Fonda described him as “just fun to be with” and “reckless,” but not reckless enough to have an affair with her. She also called him “the most gorgeous human being I had ever been with.”

Reflecting on their multiple collaborations, Fonda admitted, “I had such a crush on him and it was painful.” She often sought moments to get close to him or hold his hand during filming. Talking about their last movie together, the 2017 film Our Souls at Night, she joked, “The last one we were in bed together all the time! But nothing.” She also shared her mixed feelings about Redford’s 1984 film The Natural, expressing love for the movie but disliking watching him kiss actress Glenn Close.

Fonda recounted how Redford’s popularity with female fans sometimes made him uncomfortable, as she witnessed women rush to him and faint at his feet. Despite the challenges, he embraced the power of stardom because it allowed him to create the Sundance Film Festival and influence the industry.

The Sundance Film Festival stands as a crucial part of Redford’s legacy. Fonda highlighted his mission to support independent films and push back against Hollywood’s commercial focus. She said, “He wanted diversity, he wanted complexity, he wanted surprises.” Rather than building an empire, he “built a nest for artists to feel safe.”

The two shared a connection through activism, which Fonda emphasized with a message relevant to today’s media landscape. She expressed concern about the ongoing media mergers, particularly referencing TCM’s transition from Warner Bros. Discovery to Paramount. Fonda warned, “When I look at what's happening in this town—when I look at the pending mergers, for example, if that goes through—we're going to lose what Bob was trying to do. I want to fight in the spirit of Robert Redford.”

Throughout the evening, Fonda balanced warmth, humor, and respect as she revisited her history with Redford and reflected on his impact on film and activism. Her candid stories and heartfelt tribute painted a vivid picture of a cherished friendship and enduring admiration between two Hollywood icons.