“GOODBYE, OLD FRIEND…” — BARBRA STREISAND’S OSCARS TRIBUTE TO ROBERT REDFORD LEAVES THE ENTIRE ROOM IN TEARS 💔 The theater fell into a heavy, emotional silence at the Academy Awards when Barbra Streisand slowly stepped onto the stage to honor the late Hollywood legend Robert Redford. The lights dimmed, and behind her, a montage of Redford’s unforgettable career began to play — scenes that had shaped generations of movie lovers. As the first notes of the tribute song began, Streisand’s voice filled the room with a quiet, aching warmth. Many in the audience could be seen wiping away tears as images of Redford’s life and work flickered across the screen — from his earliest roles to the moments that made him one of the most respected figures in cinema. But near the end of the performance, Streisand paused for a brief second, looking toward the screen as one final photo of Redford appeared. What she softly said before finishing the song immediately brought the entire audience to its feet, turning the tribute into one of the most emotional moments of the night. The full performance — and the moment that left the room in silence — is now spreading everywhere online… - Duly

And Barbra couldn’t help but rave about her former costar, sharing his accomplishments from defending the freedom of the press to protecting the environment and founding the Sundance Institute.

“He was thoughtful and bold,” she said. “I called him an intellectual cowboy who blazed his own trail.”

The 83-year-old then launched into a heartbreaking rendition of The Way We Were’s title song—which won the Oscar for Best Original Song in 1974.

Barbra Streisand, Robert Redford Tribute, Oscars 2026

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Following Robert’s Sept. 16 death at his home in Sundance, Utah, Barbra—who had presented him with his honorary Oscar in 2002—recounted their time together on The Way We Were, noting that every day on set was “exciting, intense and pure joy.”

“We were such opposites: he was from the world of horses; I was allergic to them!” she wrote on Instagram last year. “Yet, we kept trying to find out more about each other, just like the characters in the movie. Bob was charismatic, intelligent, intense, always interesting—and one of the finest actors ever.”

The Funny Girl actress also recalled the last time the two saw each other, sharing that Robert joined her for lunch as the two “discussed art and decided to send each other our first drawings.”

“He was one of a kind,” she added, “and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with him.”

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But that opportunity almost didn’t come to pass. Despite Barbra and director Sydney Pollack’s insistence that he be cast as Hubbell to her Katie in The Way We Were, Robert turned down the role multiple times.

“I have to give Sydney credit. He was as persistent as I was, because we both felt that only Redford would make the picture work,” she wrote in her 2023 memoir My Name Is Barbra. “It’s like playing tennis…I knew my own game would go up when I was opposite a strong player.”

But Robert wouldn’t budge, telling them he felt the character wasn’t developed enough, which led to Barbra and Sydney bringing in writers to add “more scenes to strengthen his character.”

“The courtship had been tough,” Barbra said, “but Bob’s reluctance had a big influence on the script and ultimately resulted in a richer, more interesting character.”

For a look at more stars celebrating the 2026 Academy Awards, keep reading.