During a recent appearance, Jane Fonda shared a story that instantly grabbed the attention of the evening’s tribute to Robert Redford.
While celebrating their decades-long collaboration, she took everyone back to 1966 and recalled asking him a very bold question the first time they worked together on ‘The Chase‘.
The Bold Question Jane Fonda Asked Robert Redford
Fonda recalled at the TCM Classic Film Festival just how striking Redford was when they first worked together. “I met him on ‘The Chase’… and, oh my God,” she said, emphasizing how instantly she noticed him. Even though both were married at the time, she admitted she didn’t ignore the pull she felt toward him.
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That curiosity led her to ask something very personal: “Do you ever have affairs?”. It clearly hinted at where her thoughts were going. But Redford’s reply immediately changed the dynamic. He told her, “Well, if I was gonna have an affair, it would be with somebody that was like a hooker.” The answer was unexpected, blunt, and clear enough to close that door entirely.
Even so, Fonda didn’t downplay her admiration. She called him “a brilliant movie star” and said he was “the most gorgeous human being I had ever been with.” She added that he was smart, funny, and loved practical jokes, but joked he wasn’t “so reckless that he would have an affair with me.”
Instead of romance, they found connection in other ways. Fonda shared how they bonded over building stone walls. “We had such a good time talking about stacking stones,” she said.
Why Their Chemistry Exploded On Screen But Never Took Off In Reality
While real life stayed firmly in check, their films told a completely different story. In ‘Barefoot in the Park‘, their closeness was hard to miss, and Fonda admitted she was up for those moments whenever she could. “I remember being in the bed. We were supposed to be really cold, which gave an excuse to roll up against him,” she said.
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She openly admitted, “I have such a crush on him.” And then, she revealed that she tried to create small moments of connection during scenes. Looking back at a montage, she laughed, “I kept trying to grab his hand. Did anybody notice that? Anything,” showing how she took whatever opportunity she could get.
Even years later, when they reunited for ‘Our Souls at Night‘, the dynamic remained unchanged. “In the last one we did together… we were in bed together all the time. But nothing,” she said, emphasizing how their story never crossed that line despite decades of working together.
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