For sex scenes with Barbra Streisand in the movie The Way We Were, Robert Redford «he was wearing two pairs of underpants». Theater critic Robert Hofler reveals it in a new book entitled How Epic Battles and Bruised Egos Brought: a Classic Hollywood Love Story to the Screen in which he recounts the background to the 1973 romantic film that earned Streisand a nomination for theOscars. At the time, the star was 36 years old, the singer 30. Streisand stayed immediately “hypnotized” by the beauty of the actor: «She had a crush on him even before it started», as revealed by director Sydney Pollack.
Redford however, believing that Barbra was not “a serious actress”at the start he had no desire to act with her. And he was always grumpy with her: «If we’re going to be able to work together, you have to keep in mind that everything I’m going to tell you about myself will be voluntary because I want you to know it. Not because you have any right to know,” he told her before filming began. Barbra, who according to Hofler has always loved strong men, was not discouraged. On the contrary. And during filming tried in every way to conquer Robert. He even wore a bikini for their first sex scene, but Redford, at the time happily married to Lola Van Wagenen and father of four children, to “protect himself” from Barbra he put on “two pairs of tight underwear”. And he didn’t want the scene to be too racy.
The book also reveals that, during the film’s second sex scene, the actor refused to deliver the line, “It’ll be better this time.” Because he thought people would believe he was a failure in bed in real life as well. “Redford has never been sick in bed,” Hofler explains, “so neither could his character.” That scene had another unforeseen effect: for years, fans, on the street, approached Redford trying to move his bangs like Streisand did in the film. Attempts to which the star reacted «with horror».
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Source: Vanity Fair
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