The 70-year-old actress starred in Redford’s son Jamie's independent film, 'Spin,' in 2003
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NEED TO KNOW
- Dana Delany recalls Robert Redford kneeling to praise her performance in the 2003 film Spin, which was directed by his son Jamie Redford
- Delany tells PEOPLE she was overwhelmed by the encounter and regrets turning away from the iconic actor
- While attending the TCM Classic Film Festival, she shared her admiration for Redford’s iconic roles
Dana Delany admits she was starstruck when she met Robert Redford and still looks back on the interaction with a twinge of "regret."
While chatting with PEOPLE at the TCM Classic Film Festival before a screening of Barefoot in the Park, Delany looked back on working with Redford's son, Jamie Redford, who directed her in 2003's Spin. In addition to Delany, the independent drama film featured Stanley Tucci and Ryan Merriman.
"Bob was so supportive. He loved Jamie," the 70-year-old says.
"We had a little pre-dinner before the movie screened. I was sitting there with a plate on my lap, like a buffet thing. All of a sudden, I looked to my right, and there was Robert Redford on his knees in front of me, telling me how good I was in the movie, and he wanted me to know before all the hubbub started,” Delany recalls.
Credit: Ken Levine/WireImage
“I was so freaked out that Robert Redford was on his knees telling me this because it's all I ever wanted in life," she continues. "Then I said, ‘Oh, thank you,' and I turned away because I couldn't handle it. I was just so freaked, and I regret that completely."
"The poor guy got off of his knees and just walked away,” she adds.
Despite her overwhelmed reaction, the actress emphasizes that Robert always tried to put people at ease and was used to people being nervous around him.
“He knew the effect that he had on people," she shares.
The moment was especially impactful given that Delany had spent most of her childhood admiring the Oscar-winning actor.
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“Robert Redford is a big part of my childhood. It's funny, I would say the most romantic movie was The Way We Were," she says. "I'd say his sexiest was when he was The Sundance Kid."
However, in Barefoot in the Park, she notes that "he and Jane [Fonda] were just so young and beautiful, and everything was ahead of them."
The longtime Hollywood icon and star of classic films such as 1969's Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and 1985's Out of Africa died on Sept. 16, 2025, at the age of 89.
After his death, Delany posted a tribute to him on her Instagram account, writing, “I was lucky to know Bob Redford through his wonderful son, Jamie, whom he adored. Redford is one of our last true movie stars, but he was so much more. A good human who cared about the world and used his art to that end. I know these beautiful souls are reunited.”
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