New Book Says Robert Redford Doubled-Up On Underwear To 'Protect Himself' From Barbra Streisand

A new book claims that actor Robert Redford wasn't taking any chances while shooting a love scene with Barbra Streisand for the 1973 movie The Way We Were.

The man wasn't leaving anything up to chance. He threw on two sets of underwear to keep things under control.

The revelation of Redford's extra-cautious underwear choices comes in the new book, The Way They Were: How Epic Battles and Bruised Egos Brought a Classic Hollywood Love Story to the Screen. Author Robert Hofler delves into the making of the movie that netted Streisand an Academy Award nomination

In the book, Hofler writes, "To protect himself in more ways than one, (Redford) wore two athletic supporters for his love scene with Streisand, who chose to don a bikini."

Redford may have felt this was a necessary act of defense against unexpected excitement was that Streisand was "infatuated" with him. Meanwhile, he was a married man and had four kids. That relationship ended in the '80s but at least he did what he could to keep it going on set.

What a guy, that Robert Redford.

Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand in 1973's The Way We Were. No word on how many pathetic supporters he was wearing in this photo. (Photo by Columbia Pictures International/Courtesy of Getty Images)

Redford Didn't Consider Streisand A "Serious Actor"

The book claims Redford didn't consider her a "serious actor."

“Her reputation is as a very controlling person. She will direct herself. It’ll never work,” Reddord reportedly said.

Redford was also adamant that Streisand not sing in the movie. In Hofler's book he's quoted making that point crystal-clear: “She’s not going to sing, is she? I don’t want her to sing in the middle of the movie.”

However, he lost out on that one. Streisand — whose background was as a singer — wound up singing the movie's themes song.

Production on the movie was delayed several times and didn't start until September 1972. One of those delays stemmed from Redford getting attacked by a bat on his ranch in Utah. That meant that he had to get a series of rabies shots.

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