The Prince of Tides Filming Locations and Hollywood Stories in Beaufort

When The Prince of Tides came to Beaufort, Nick Nolte charmed the town. Barbra Streisand? Not so much

Story by Tommy Baysden

In 1991 Nick Nolte and Barbra Streisand took up residence in Beaufort for five months to film The Prince of Tides. To welcome the stars, doors were flung open, and red carpets rolled out across the small coastal town. Nolte embraced it wholeheartedly. Queen Barbra, not so much.

Nolte goes native

Nolte, dressed in green surgical scrubs, rode all over town on his rickety bicycle. He chatted with shrimpers and downtown merchants, lingered in cafés and bars and became close friends with Matt Williams, another recovering alcoholic. “His charm could melt the polar ice cap,” one local woman said.

Nolte himself was just as enthusiastic. “I’m really into this place,” he told anyone who would listen. “I want to know every street, every place to get a good burger. You’ll be sick of me by the time I have to leave!” Beaufort never did.

Enter the diva

Barbra Streisand, on the other hand, did not win over the locals. Quite the opposite. Everything she did seemed to grate. “Loved him, hated her,” one Beaufort resident was quoted in the Chicago Tribune. “She was a very uppity lady — and that’s not just the female point of view!”

Her first move was leasing a large historic home on Prince Street, complete with a gym, a pool and a tall surrounding fence. The owners retreated to their beach house on Fripp Island while Streisand repainted the interior, room by room. To be fair, the original colors were restored after she left.

Her stay overlapped with Beaufort’s annual Water Festival, and she was invited to sing the national anthem at the opening ceremony, accompanied by the Marine Corps Band, widely regarded as one of the world’s finest. She declined.

Around the same time, the Renaissance Weekend — known for drawing high-powered guests, including Bill and Hillary Clinton —was taking place on Hilton Head Island. One of the event’s founders later recalled Streisand striding into the room and striking up a conversation with the Clintons at a volume that completely drowned out the presentation underway. “She was a total disruption,” the host said.

Scoops of local lore 

Then there were the fighter jets. Streisand objected to “The Sound of Freedom” roaring over her rented home and called the commanding officer at the Marine Corps Air Station to demand that the flights stop. She even suggested the base be shut down. That, of course, was not possible, though the CO agreed to adjust the schedule slightly to keep the peace.

Streisand reportedly craved ice cream three times a day and dispatched her assistants to Plums, a popular local restaurant, to fetch it. Eventually dissatisfied with the available flavors, she sent her personal chef to teach the staff a new recipe featuring coffee, fudge and almonds. It remained on the menu for years.

On another occasion she toured a richly historic mansion on Bay Street. Arriving fashionably — and frustratingly — late, she was greeted by the homeowner, who extended her hand. Streisand barely touched a finger to it, Sistine Chapel-style, never making eye contact. She whispered her questions to an aide, who relayed them to the hostess. At no point did she directly address the owner.

One final episode seemed to crystallize Beaufort’s feelings. Streisand waited inside her Winnebago, parked outside a local home, while a crowd, hoping for autographs, gathered in the July heat. After an hour, a policeman announced, “Miss Streisand will be out in a moment. No autographs, please,” then moved the crowd 50 yards away.

Another hour passed. Suddenly the trailer door flew open. Streisand emerged, crossed about 20 feet of yard and disappeared into the house.

“A glimpse,” a local reporter later wrote. “That’s all that Streisand was willing to grant that day.” It may have finally dawned on the Beaufort faithful that, like the rest of the world, they would have to wait for the movie’s release to get a proper look at the celebrity in their midst.

Conroy gets the last word

When locals eventually saw The Prince of Tides, many remarked that it bore only a passing resemblance to Pat Conroy’s novel. Conroy himself was unfazed. “When Hollywood acquired the film rights to The Prince of Tides,” he famously said, “they could have turned the Wingos into a family of Eskimos. That’s just the way the business works.”

And finally, legend has it that on the day Streisand departed Beaufort, the Air Station staged a five-plane, low-altitude flyover of her house.

In Beaufort, The Prince of Tides wasn’t just filmed — it was lived.

Pat Conroy’s Lowcountry Legacy

From its opening flyover of the Beaufort River, The Prince of Tides makes clear that setting is more than scenery. Filmed in Beaufort and the surrounding Sea Islands, the movie returned Pat Conroy’s deeply personal novel to the landscapes that inspired it.

Beaufort on the big screen: The former Bay Street Inn (601 Bay Street) served as Tom Wingo’s childhood home. The former Beaufort High School football field was used for football scenes. The old Naval Hospital doubled as New York’s Bellevue Hospital. Filming also took place on Fripp Island, home to the movie’s beach house. Scenes on St. Helena Island feature the marshes surrounding the iconic shrimp boat, Tiderunner.

When Hollywood moved in: During filming, Beaufort briefly became a full-fledged movie town. Cast and crew lived throughout local neighborhoods, and production blended easily into daily life.

A Lowcountry connection: Four actresses portrayed Savannah Wingo at different ages. One was Kiki Runyan, then a 13-year-old Hilton Head Island resident. Her mother, Debi Lynes, is well known to many locals. Runyan later recalled Streisand’s kindness on set, especially toward the children.

From page to screen: Readers of Conroy’s novel often note the differences. The book is darker and more unfiltered, while the film softens some story lines and leans into emotional resolution. Together they offer two interpretations of the same story.

FAQs About The Prince of Tides in Beaufort

Where was The Prince of Tides filmed?
Many scenes were filmed in Beaufort and the surrounding Sea Islands, including Fripp Island, St. Helena Island and historic homes along Bay Street.

Did Nick Nolte and Barbra Streisand live in Beaufort during filming?
Yes. Both actors stayed in Beaufort for several months while filming took place in the area.

Why did Pat Conroy set The Prince of Tides in the Lowcountry?
Pat Conroy’s novel was inspired by the landscapes, culture and emotional rhythms of the Lowcountry, making Beaufort a natural filming location.