Barbra Streisand has revealed her co-star Mandy Patinkin made her life ‘miserable’ during filming for her famous film Yentl.
The pair starred as students in the 1983 film who meet at a yeshiva [a traditional Jewish school] after Yentl [Barbra] disguises herself as a boy. She then realises she is falling in love with Avigdor [Mandy], who is already engaged.
Yet it seems Mandy also hoped something romantic would blossom in real life as Barbra has revealed the married actor propositioned her to have an affair.
Telling all in her new memoir, My Name is Barbra, she wrote: ‘There was a moment, a week or so into the shoot, when Mandy and I were doing a scene in the yeshiva.
‘I think he had two or three lines, but he wouldn’t look me in the eye. He just stared at my forehead.’
Candid: Barbra Streisand, 81, has revealed Yentl co-star Mandy Patinkin, 70, made her life ‘miserable’ after he propositioned her to have an affair during filming
Throwback: The pair starred as students who meet at a yeshiva when Yentl (Barbra) disguises herself as a boy in the 1983 film. She then realises she is falling in love with Avigdor (Mandy)
Married life: Mandy has been married to fellow actor Kathryn Grody since 1980 and the pair have two sons Isaac and Gideon (pictured in 2023)
Barbra later confronted him about his behaviour on her directorial debut film, and he replied: ‘I thought we were going to have a more personal relationship.’
‘”What?” I had no idea what he was talking about,’ she continued.
‘[He said,] “I thought we were going to have an affair.” I looked at him as if he were crazy . . . 1) I would never have an affair with an actor I was directing, 2) he was married, and 3) I wasn’t at all attracted to him.
‘But I couldn’t tell him he was not exactly fascinating to me. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings, so I simply said, “I don’t operate that way.” Tears rolled down his cheeks.’
The A Star Is Born actress then told the Homeland star she would replace him if his behaviour continued.
She said: We’re only two weeks in. I can reshoot all your scenes if you can’t be more professional. I’ve waited fifteen years to realise my dream and I will not let you destroy it.’
‘By this point Mandy had been making my life miserable for months, and I just couldn’t bear the thought of making love with him. I’m not that good an actress.
‘So I changed it. I rewrote the scene. And now that I look back on it, I wonder if I allowed my frustration with Mandy to overrule my instincts.
‘Maybe I should have let Yentl and the audience have that moment.’
has contacted Mandy’s representatives for comment.
Former flame: Barbra split from her first husband Elliott Gould in 1969 after first tying the knot in 1963 and welcoming their son Jason (pictured in 1967)
Happy: Barbra is now married to James Brolin after the couple said ‘I do’ back in 1998
Barbra split from her first husband Elliott Gould in 1969 after first tying the knot in 1963 and welcoming their son Jason.
She later married actor James Brolin in 1998.
Meanwhile, Mandy has been married to fellow actor Kathryn Grody since 1980 and the pair have two sons Isaac and Gideon.
Barbra also denounced the rise of anti-Semitism and fascism in the United States on Monday while on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
During a rare interview conducted at her home in Malibu, California, was asked by Stephen, 59, for her thoughts about hostilities against Jewish people being on the rise.
‘It’s so sad. It’s sad about what’s going on today. Meaning, people have to live together even though they are different religions or whatever. People are people. It’s true. You know, we all want the same thing. We all want love in our hearts. We all want family. We all want to feel secure,’ Barbra said in reference to the Israel-Hamas war.
‘I hope for the best because this is heartbreaking, what’s happening now with these people. The children, the mothers, doesn’t matter what religion they are. You know what I mean? This is beyond religion. This is insanity for us not to learn how to live together in peace,’ she added.
New book: My Name Is Barbra was released earlier this month by Viking Press