Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand in The Way We Were (Columbia)
The two actors were constantly tense behind the scenes, as revealed by author Robert Hofler in his book *The Way We Were*, which recounts the chaotic pre-production, filming, and post-production of the movie.
Hofler emphasizes the actor's initial refusal to work with a woman he didn't consider a serious actress and from whom he even wanted to protect himself, given that he was married and a father. Streisand, on the other hand, was "hypnotized" by Redford's physical beauty and desperately wanted to "sleep with him."
She even wore a bikini for the film's sex scene to elicit a reaction, but Redford wore only two pairs of underwear and made sure the scene was "suitable for all ages." The film was shot between August and November 1972. Redford was 36 and Streisand 30 at the time. The book also reveals that, during their second sex scene, the actor refused to say the line "this time it will be better" because he feared the audience would consider him a poor lover.
