Screen legend Faye Dunaway issued an eloquent tribute to to her former co-star Robert Redford after his death earlier this week.

‘Robert Redford represented “The true American elegance” in every aspect: his physique, his emotions, and his artistic expression,’ shared the 84-year-old Oscar-winner with the Daily Mail. This description, often mistakenly credited to Alexis de Tocqueville, perfectly describes Redford.

‘He was a heartfelt American original. I am proud and fortunate to have called him a colleague and a friend.’

Dunaway and Redford starred together in 1975’s Three Days of Condor, a spy thriller about a quiet CIA codebreaker directed by Sydney Pollack.

Redford played the CIA agent, who kidnaps Dunaway’s character before the two become lovers. 

The beloved actor, director and activist died at the age of 89 at his home in Utah, outside of Provo, on Tuesday.

Faye Dunaway paid tribute to her former co-star Robert Redford following his death. The two are seen in a still from 1975’s Three Days of Condor

Faye Dunaway, seen in 2024, previously said it had been hard to pretend to be scared of the charming Robert Redford

The beloved actor, director and activist died at the age of 89 at his home in Utah , outside of Provo, on Tuesday

Gaining fame in the 1960s, Redford became a major Hollywood icon of the 1970s, starring in notable films like The Candidate and All the President’s Men. He earned the best director Oscar for the 1980 film Ordinary People, which also secured the best picture title that year.

Following his death, The New Yorker called Redford’s work with Dunaway ‘the most touching, and the most unsettled, in all of Redford’s work.’

‘I can’t help wishing that the pair had made further films together,’ wrote film critic Anthony Lane. 

Dunaway previously spoke about her first meeting with Redford, saying it had been difficult to pretend to be scared of the ‘gorgeous’ actor. 

The celebrated actress of the 20th century gained fame with her memorable role as bank robber Bonnie Parker in the 1967 film Bonnie and Clyde, a role that garnered her first Oscar nomination.

Dunaway received another nomination for the 1974 cinematic classic Chinatown and later won the best actress Oscar for her powerful performance as a relentless TV executive in the 1976 film Network.

She starred in a host of other classic movies including The Thomas Crown Affair and The Towering Inferno.  

In 2024, she participated in the well-received HBO documentary Faye, which examined her legendary career.