On Sunday's Oscar night, Jane Fonda playfully questioned why Barbra Streisand was chosen to pay tribute to Robert Redford during the ceremony's In Memoriam segment
NEED TO KNOW
While Streisand "only made one movie," The Way We Were, with the late actor-filmmaker, Fonda "made four," she quipped
Calling her longtime friend "the most gorgeous human being," Fonda added that she "was always in love with" Redford
Jane Fondais wishing she could have paid tribute to her dear, departed friendRobert Redford.
At the 98th annualAcademy Awardson Sunday,Barbra Streisandtook the stage as part of the ceremony's In Memoriam segment to honor Redford, whodiedon Sept. 16, 2025 at age 89.
"I want to know how come Streisand was up there doing that for Redford?" Fonda, 88, quipped toEntertainment Tonightat an Oscar night party.
She playfully added that Streisand, 83, "only made one movie with him, I made four! I have more to say."
With a laugh, Fonda said she "was always in love with him. The most gorgeous human being and such great values. And he did a lot for movies, he really changed movies, lifted up independent movies."
Advertisement
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Streisand starred with Redford in the Sydney Pollack-directed 1973 romance dramaThe Way We Were. Onstage at theConan O'Brien-hosted ceremony, shedelivered a moving tributeto the actor-filmmaker, followed briefly by a rare live rendition of the hit song of the same name — over a decade since she last performed it at the Oscars for composer Marvin Hamlisch.
"He was a brilliant, subtle actor," theFunny GirlOscar winner said onstage of Redford. "And we had a wonderful time playing off each other because we never quite knew what the other one was going to do in the scene."
Fonda, on the other hand, starred with the late Redford in 1960'sThe Tall Story, 1966'sThe Chase, 1967'sBarefoot in the Parkand 2017'sOur Souls at Night. In a statement shared on the day herfrienddied, the two-time Oscar-winning actresssaid, "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."
Speaking toET, Fonda acknowledged that "we lost a lot of really talented people" in the last year. Asked about the ceremony'sRachel McAdams-ledtributetoBook ClubcostarDiane Keaton, Fonda said she hadn't caught that moment, "but her passing hit me really hard."
This year'sOscars In Memoriam segmentincluded such Hollywood heavyweights asRob Reiner, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Catherine O'Hara, Val Kilmer, Robert Duvall and more.
SeePEOPLE's full coverageof the 98th Academy Awards.
Read the original article onPeople