Streisand Tributes Redford at Oscars; Fonda Voices Surprise

At the 98th Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles on March 15, 2026, Barbra Streisand delivered a heartfelt tribute to the late actor and director Robert Redford during the In Memoriam segment, prompting fellow actress Jane Fonda to voice her surprise and mild disappointment that she had not been selected for the honor.

Redford, who died in his sleep at age 89 in September 2025, received one of three extended remembrances in the segment, alongside tributes to Rob Reiner and Diane Keaton. The In Memoriam also honored other industry figures, including Robert Duvall, Terence Stamp, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Catherine O'Hara, and Val Kilmer. Streisand, Redford's co-star in the 1973 romantic drama The Way We Were, recounted their collaboration on stage. "After I read the first script of The Way We Were, I could only imagine one man in the role and that was Robert Redford," she said. "But he turned it down because he said the character had no backbone. He doesn't stand for anything, and he was right. So many drafts later, Bob finally agreed to do it. 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...