Nick Nolte Admits His On-Screen Romance With Barbra Streisand Continued In Real Life

Barbra Streisand and Nick Nolte starred in the 1991 romance film and it was obvious that their chemistry was unmistakable. The movie was nominated for seven Academy Awards and swept the world by storm. Their fans were wondering if the two did become real-life lovers after the movie. Everyone was hoping that they did see how perfect they were for each other on-screen.

And now, Nick Nolte speaks up about what really happened with his relationship with Barbra Streisand.

The Academy Award-nominated actor moved from the Midwest to Los Angeles in the early 1960s. And in 1991, he starred in the romantic movie “The Prince of Tides” alongside Barbra Streisand.

In the movie, Nick played “Tom Wingo,” a Southern man who moves to New York to help care for his suicidal sister. He then meets his sister’s psychiatrist, “Susan” who was played by Barbra. Tom and Susan fell in love.

And as it turns out, Nick and Barbra were developing feelings for each other as well!

In his 2018 memoir, “Rebel: My Life Outside the Lines,” Nick Nolte reportedly reveals some of the intimate details of his relationship with Barbra Streisand. He admits that their on-screen relationship did continue in real life.

And in his memoir, Nick writes, “‘I was powerfully drawn to her just as she was to me, so much so that I knew that early on we needed to talk about the reasons why we shouldn’t slip into a romantic and sexual relationship with each other as we worked.”

According to Nick, he met Barbra in 1989 when she allegedly invited him over to her house to read for the role of Tom Wingo. Since Barbra was also directing the movie, she expressed interest in seeing Nick before production began and nothing was unusual about it. The actor remembers visiting Barbra at her apartment in Manhattan before filming ever started. He claims that they had deep conversations as they talked about their characters in the movie.

Nick also claims that he and Barbra found it hard to stay just friends behind the cameras. He said that Barbra often had him shoot scenes without any clothes on and that they lived “in the fantasy of a relationship.”

Back then, he said he knew their relationship was not ideal, but the chemistry they share even when the cameras are not rolling was hard to resist. He said that he warned her that it would be dangerous for the film ‘to have to carry a relationship and the story at the same time.’

He further writes: “We can live in the fantasy of a relationship and that will survive, but an actual physical relationship might not survive the film.”

In fact, even after they were done shooting the movie, Nick claims Barbra called him on the phone and asked him to move in with her. However, at the time, he said he was raising his son Brawley and turned down the music legends’ offer.

According to Nick, Barbra was probably inspired to call because she was watching the movie and had fallen in love with Nick’s character “Tom.” He believes she translated those feelings onto him which is why they had that chemistry between them even behind the camera.