At 85, Jane Alexander breaks her decades-long silence about an unscripted kiss with Robert Redford during All the President’s Men, revealing a moment of raw emotion that blurred the line between acting and reality — a quiet truth that haunted her for fifty years and now reshapes Hollywood’s most untouchable legend.

Who's Still Alive From 'All The President's Men'?

At 85, legendary actress Jane Alexander has finally opened up about a moment that, until now, lived only in whispers — an unscripted kiss on the set of All the President’s Men that changed the dynamic between her and Robert Redford forever.

Her confession, revealed in a forthcoming documentary exploring the making of the 1976 political thriller, has reignited conversations about Hollywood’s golden age, the blurred line between performance and emotion, and the human fragility behind two of the industry’s most respected stars.

During the filming of All the President’s Men, Redford and Alexander played Washington Post reporters uncovering the Watergate scandal, a role that cemented Redford’s image as the moral compass of American cinema.

The movie, directed by Alan J.

Pakula and written by William Goldman, became an instant classic — a symbol of integrity, truth, and journalistic courage.

But behind the camera, according to Alexander, the energy on set was far more complex than anyone knew.

“There was tension — not the kind you write into a script, but something more delicate,” Alexander recalls in the documentary.

“We were both professionals, but sometimes, truth slips out where it’s least expected.”

The “truth” she refers to is a spontaneous moment during a take that wasn’t planned, scripted, or approved.

Redford, known for his composed and methodical approach to acting, reportedly leaned in during a scene that called for quiet empathy — and the kiss happened.

“It wasn’t supposed to,” Alexander says softly in the clip.

“It wasn’t rehearsed, and no one yelled ‘cut’ right away.

It was… real.”

 

Viewer Guide: "All The President's Men" and "The Hero" | Blog | Reel 13 |  THIRTEEN

 

Crew members, according to archived production notes and interviews from that era, described the atmosphere on set as “electric” and “suddenly very quiet” after the moment unfolded.

The footage, of course, never made it to the final cut.

But for Alexander, it was a defining experience — one that stayed with her for decades.

“I admired Bob deeply,” she explains.

“He had this presence — this moral certainty that people mistook for perfection.

But he was human, and that day, we were both caught in something that neither of us could quite name.”

The documentary, set to premiere later this year at the Telluride Film Festival, dives into never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage, handwritten notes from director Pakula, and rare interviews with surviving cast and crew.

It paints a picture not of scandal, but of the quiet vulnerability that existed in the shadows of Hollywood professionalism.

Film historians have long praised All the President’s Men as a masterclass in restraint — a movie about uncovering corruption told through subtle human emotion.

Yet, this revelation adds an unexpected layer to its legacy.

“What Jane is doing now,” says biographer Mark Harris, “is reclaiming the human story that existed between the lines of a political masterpiece.

It reminds us that truth isn’t just what’s printed in the paper — it’s what people carry in silence.”

When asked why she chose to speak now, Alexander smiles faintly in the interview.

“Because silence protects people, but it also imprisons you,” she says.

“I spent years thinking that moment didn’t matter.

 

William Goldman Turned Reporters into Heroes in “All the President's Men” |  The New Yorker

 

But it did — because it reminded me that even the best actors can’t always hide from what’s real.”

Robert Redford, now 89 and long retired from acting, has not commented publicly on the revelation.

Those close to him describe the actor as “private and reflective” in recent years, especially following the death of his son, James Redford, in 2020.

A source familiar with Redford’s circle suggested he “would likely respond with quiet respect — not denial.”

The confession has sparked emotional reactions across Hollywood, with many praising Alexander’s honesty.

Actress Meryl Streep reportedly called her a “brave soul” for sharing what so many in their generation never could.

Others note the timing — in an era when truth and memory are being re-examined, Alexander’s story feels both nostalgic and radical.

In one of the documentary’s most poignant moments, Alexander reflects on that fateful day in 1975.

“It wasn’t about romance,” she insists.

“It was about something breaking through the surface — something that reminded us both that we were alive, not just performing aliveness.”

Now, half a century later, her voice trembles but doesn’t falter.

“Sometimes,” she says, “the most powerful confessions aren’t shouted.

They’re whispered — long after anyone’s still listening.”

For Jane Alexander, the whisper has finally become a roar.