Jane Fonda Honors Robert Redford at TCM Festival, Warns Against Paramount-Warner Merger

Jane Fonda made a poignant appearance at the opening-night screening of the 2026 TCM Classic Film Festival on Thursday, honoring her late co-star and frequent collaborator Robert Redford. The two starred together in four films, including the 1967 romantic comedy Barefoot in the Park.

However, the famously outspoken actress used the platform to sharply criticize the potential Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, calling it a direct contradiction to Redford’s lifelong mission of supporting independent cinema. Redford founded the Sundance Film Festival and the Sundance Institute in the early 1980s to counter Hollywood’s growing focus on blockbuster films.

Redford’s Vision for Independent Film

During a 20-minute onstage conversation with Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz, Fonda reflected on her time with Redford in the late 1970s, when he was increasingly frustrated by Hollywood’s commercial priorities. She recalled his determination to create films that embraced nuance and diversity.

“He didn’t like the way movies in Hollywood had to be commercial,” Fonda, now 88, said. “It was a time when it was like, ‘Don’t make any westerns because they won’t do well.’ You know, that kind of thing. He wanted to make independent film that had nuance and diversity.”

Fonda reiterated Redford’s concerns during the event, emphasizing the risks posed by the merger. “When I look at what’s happening in this town, when I look at the pending mergers, if that goes through we’re going to lose what Bob was trying to do,” she declared to a thunderous applause from the audience at the TCL Chinese Theatre. “The diversity, the complexity, the nuance… We have to fight. I want to fight in the spirit of Robert Redford.”

Memories of a Hollywood Icon

While much of the Q&A session focused on lighter anecdotes about her collaborations with Redford, Fonda shared vivid recollections of their time together. Their first film, The Chase (1966), was followed by Barefoot in the Park (1967), The Electric Horseman (1979), and Our Souls at Night (2017).

Fonda candidly admitted her early admiration for Redford, even though both were married at the time. “I had such a crush on him it was painful,” she confessed. When asked if he ever had affairs, she recounted his unusual response: “He said, ‘Well, if I was going to have an affair, it would be to somebody that was, like, a hooker.’”

She also shared behind-the-scenes stories, including how Redford’s rising star power was already evident during the filming of Barefoot in the Park. “We shot [the film] on the Paramount lot, and I remember walking down the corridor with him. Every secretary would open her door and look at him walking. I thought, ‘He is gonna be a big star.’”

Fonda described Redford’s eccentric habits, such as his love for climbing the tower at the Fox Westwood Village Theater in Los Angeles and his frequent tardiness to sets, even when he was producing the film. She also recounted the overwhelming adoration he inspired, particularly during the filming of The Electric Horseman in Las Vegas, where women reportedly fainted at his feet.

“I had never seen anything like it,” Fonda said of the adulation Redford received. “It was hard for him