Streisand Honors Redford with Speech and Song at Oscars

Barbra Streisand delivered a moving tribute to her late co-star Robert Redford at the 98th Academy Awards on March 15, 2026, performing a snippet of "The Way We Were" during the In Memoriam segment at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The emotional performance, which left many in the audience in tears, honored Redford, who died in September 2025 at age 89.

Streisand, an EGOT winner known for her rare live appearances, began with a three-and-a-half-minute speech reflecting on their collaboration in the 1973 romantic drama "The Way We Were," directed by Sydney Pollack. She recounted how Redford initially turned down the role of Hubbell Gardiner, arguing the character lacked backbone, but agreed after script revisions. "He was a brilliant, subtle actor, and we had a wonderful time playing off each other because we never quite knew what the other one was going to do or say," Streisand said. She described the film as a classic love story set against the dark backdrop of the late 1940s and early 1950s, a period marked by informants and loyalty oaths, drawing parallels to its enduring social relevance.

Streisand praised Redford's integrity both on screen and in life, calling him an...