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Jane Fonda and Robert Redford played love interests in multiple films and had palpable chemistry, leaving many fans to wonder if the pair ever dated in real life.
Surprisingly, the answer is no — but they did have a decades-long close friendship.
The pair met while filming the 1960 comedy Tall Story. Years later, Fonda and Redford reunited for 1966’s The Chase.
In 1967, Fonda and Redford starred in their hit romantic comedy, Barefoot in the Park. The two also costarred in 1979’s The Electric Horseman and 2017’s Our Souls at Night.
Redford died in his sleep at age 89 in September 2025. The Oscar-winning actor and director was honored at the 98th Academy Awards in March 2026, featuring a tribute from Redford’s The Way We Were costar Barbra Streisand. After the awards ceremony, Fonda joked that she should have been the one to lead the tribute.
“I want to know how come Streisand was up there doing that for Redford,” the actress told Entertainment Tonight. “She only made one movie with him, I made four!”
Keep scrolling to learn more about Fonda and Redford’s friendship through the years:
Why Jane Fonda and Robert Redford Never Dated
Both Jane Fonda and Robert Redford were married to other people during the times that they collaborated on films.
Redford was married to Lola Van Wagenen from 1958 to 1985. The pair shared daughters Shauna, 64, and Amy, 58, son James, who died from cancer in October 2020 at age 58, and son Scott, who died of SIDS in 1959 when he was 2 months old. Redford later tied the knot with Sibylle Szaggars in 2009.
Meanwhile, Fonda was married to Roger Vadim, with whom she shares daughter Vanessa, 56, from 1965 to 1973. She later tied the knot with Tom Hayden in 1973. The pair welcomed son Troy, 52, before their split in 1990. Fonda was then married to Ted Turner from 1991 to 2001.
Though Fonda and Redford’s relationship never turned romantic, the Grace and Frankie star has admitted that she had a crush on her costar and even “fell in love” with him while filming their movies.
“I was always in love with him. [He was] the most gorgeous human being and had such great values. He did a lot for movies — he lifted up independent movies,” Fonda told ET after the 2026 Oscars.
What Has Jane Fonda Said About Her Friendship With Robert Redford?
Jane Fonda spoke about her crush on Robert Redford during a 2008 interview with People.
“He is so handsome and just such a wonderful human being,” she said. “Every movie I made with him, I developed a crush on him.”
Later, Fonda called Redford a “great kisser” and said she “couldn’t keep [her] hands off him” during Barefoot in the Park. Plus, Fonda shared that she “lived” for sex scenes with the Out of Africa actor.
What Has Robert Redford Said About His Friendship With Jane Fonda?
Robert Redford told The Telegraph in 2017 that he “didn’t know” Jane Fonda was in love with him. However, he had a deep admiration for his Tall Story costar.
“It’s easy [to work with Fonda],” he said during a 2017 Today interview. “We’ve done many films over the years so it just worked out that way, that there was not a lot of discussion, we didn’t have to talk about a lot. Things just kind of fell into place between us, and there wasn’t much more to think about.”
Later that year, Redford called Fonda a “force.”
“As long as I’ve known Jane, she’s always moving forward, and doesn’t look back. And whatever pain, whatever problems she’s had in the past, remains in the past and she keeps moving forward,” he shared. “It’s an admirable quality, and very few people have it like Jane does.”
Jane Fonda Paid Tribute to Robert Redford After His Death
After news broke of Robert Redford’s death, Jane Fonda told Us Weekly in a statement, “It hit me hard this morning when I read that Bob was gone. I can’t stop crying. He meant a lot to me and was a beautiful person in every way. He stood for an America we have to keep fighting for.”
Fonda also posted a tribute to Redford on Instagram, sharing a photo from Our Souls at Night.
“Bob made a real difference in all good ways. He represented an America we must now fight to protect. He revolutionized independent filmmaking and made us swoon in so many movies. I am very sad today,” she wrote. “I was wanting to go see him these last few months to make sure we were all right between us, but I didn’t act on it soon enough. Lesson learned. When people are our age, late 80s, don’t wait. Thank you, dearest Bob, for all the pleasure you brought over the years.”
