Scarlett Johansson has praised “warm and kind” Robert Redford for teaching her “what acting could be”.
“The Black Widow” actress worked with the Hollywood legend, who died on Tuesday, September 16, aged 89, on one of her first movies, 1998’s “The Horse Whisperer”, and she’s reflected on the impact her director and co-star had on her future career.
She told “Entertainment Weekly”: “Bob Redford cast me in ‘The Horse Whisperer’ when I was 11 years old. Every day before each scene, he would take the time to sit with me and walk me through all of the beats that led my character up until that particular point in the story.
“No matter the reality of the day’s rush, I always felt he had all the time in the world for our work.”
Johansson praised the cinema veteran for creating “an environment on set that was calm and precious; a place where actors could make discoveries.”
Praising Redford as “patient and warm and kind,” she added, “Bob taught me what acting could be, and it was from his generosity and patience that I was inspired to pursue the possibilities of the craft.
“That same generosity and love of the art inspired Bob’s creation of Sundance, a place where filmmakers learn from one another, inspire one another, and discover one another’s talent.”
The 40-year-old actress will be “forever grateful” for the influence the “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” star had on her life and career.
She concluded: “Bob, thank you for your belief in me and for your grace and guidance. You inspired so many artists, me included, to go deeper, to stay present, to push creative boundaries, and to explore further, and for that, we are forever grateful.”
Jane Fonda paid tribute to Robert Redford.
Meanwhile, Jane Fonda, who starred with Redford in “The Chase” (1966), “Barefoot in the Park” (1967), “The Electric Horseman” (1979) and “Our Souls at Night” (2017), admitted she had been unable to “stop crying” since she found out about her friend’s death.
The 87-year-old star said 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.”
Barbra Streisand remembered her “The Way We Were” co-star as “one of the finest actors ever” as she recalled the “joy” they had working on the 1973 movie.
She wrote on Instagram: “Every day on the set of ‘The Way We Were’ was exciting, intense and pure joy.
“We were such opposites: he was from the world of horses; I was allergic to them! Yet, we kept trying to find out more about each other, just like the characters in the movie.
“Bob was charismatic, intelligent, intense, always interesting – and one of the finest actors ever. The last time I saw him, when he came to lunch, we discussed art and decided to send each other our first drawings.
“He was one of a kind, and I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with him.”
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