Henry Fonda facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Henry Fonda
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Fonda in Warlock (1959)
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Henry Jaynes Fonda
May 16, 1905 Grand Island, Nebraska, U.S.
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| Died | August 12, 1982 (aged 77) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Alma mater | University of Minnesota |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1928–1981 |
| Political party | Democratic |
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| Children | 3, including Jane and Peter |
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Henry Jaynes Fonda (born May 16, 1905 – died August 12, 1982) was a famous American actor. He had a long career that lasted 50 years. He performed on Broadway (which is New York's theater district) and in Hollywood movies. Henry Fonda starred in many films that are still considered classics today.
He was also the head of a family of actors. His daughter, Jane Fonda, his son, Peter Fonda, his granddaughter, Bridget Fonda, and his grandson, Troy Garity, all became actors. In 1999, the American Film Institute named him the sixth greatest male screen legend of the classic Hollywood era.
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Henry Fonda's Early Life and Family
Henry Jaynes Fonda was born in Grand Island, Nebraska, on May 16, 1905. His father, William Brace Fonda, was a printer, and his mother was Herberta (Jaynes). His family moved to Omaha, Nebraska, in 1906. Henry Fonda's family history goes back to the mid-1600s, when his ancestors founded Fonda, New York. Many of his family members later moved to Nebraska by 1888.
When he was young, Henry was a shy and short boy. He liked to avoid girls, except for his sisters. He was good at skating, swimming, and running. He also enjoyed drawing. He worked part-time at his father's printing shop and thought he might become a journalist. Later, he worked for the phone company after school. Henry was also active in the Boy Scouts of America. By his last year of high school, he had grown tall but was still very shy. He went to the University of Minnesota to study journalism but did not finish college.
Henry Fonda's Acting Career
Henry Fonda started acting when he was 20 years old. He joined the Omaha Community Playhouse. He really liked acting because it let him pretend to be someone else. In 1928, Fonda decided to leave his job and move east to become a professional actor. He worked in Massachusetts for a short time. Then, he moved to New York City. There, he became roommates with James Stewart, who was also a famous actor. They got along well and improved their acting skills on Broadway. Fonda performed in plays from 1926 to 1934.
Fonda made his first Hollywood movie in 1935. He quickly became a star. He acted in popular films like Jezebel (1938), Jesse James (1939), and Young Mr. Lincoln (1939). He also played Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath (1940). For this role, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor. Suddenly, he was earning a lot of money and dining with other Hollywood stars. The New York Times newspaper called him "Henry Fonda, the most likable of the new crop of romantic juveniles."
Serving in World War II
In August 1942, Henry Fonda joined the United States Navy to fight in World War II. He served for three years. First, he was a Quartermaster 3rd Class on a destroyer ship called the USS Satterlee. Later, he became a Lieutenant Junior Grade. He worked in Air Combat Intelligence in the Central Pacific area. For his service, he received the Bronze Star Medal and the Navy Presidential Unit Citation. After the war, Fonda was released from active duty. He then served in the Naval Reserve from 1945 to 1948.
Returning to Acting
After the war, Fonda took a break from movies. He enjoyed civilian life and went to Hollywood parties. But in 1946, he returned to acting. He made seven more films. Then, he went back to performing in plays on Broadway.
On Broadway, he starred as Mister Roberts in the play Mister Roberts. This was a comedy about the U.S. Navy during World War II. The play was very successful. After an eight-year break from films, he played the same role in the 1955 movie version of Mister Roberts.
After Mr. Roberts, Fonda played Pierre Bezukhov in the movie War and Peace (1956). This film was based on Leo Tolstoy's famous novel. He continued to act in war films and Western films. In 1957, he produced and acted in one film called 12 Angry Men. After that, he decided he would only act and not produce any more films.
Even though he had health problems as he got older, Henry Fonda kept working. He acted in theater, television, and films throughout the 1970s. He made some films that were not very successful at the end of the 1970s. As his health got worse, he took longer breaks between movies. Critics began to praise his work even more. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his very last film role. This was in On Golden Pond (1981). His daughter Jane Fonda and Katharine Hepburn also starred in this movie. Henry Fonda was too sick to go to the awards ceremony. He passed away a few months later from heart disease.
Henry Fonda's Personal Life
Marriages and Children
Henry Fonda was married five times and had three children:
- Margaret Sullivan (1931-1933), an actress.
- Frances Seymour Brokaw (1936-1950). She had a daughter from a previous marriage. Henry and Frances had two children together: Jane (born 1937) and Peter (1940–2019). Both Jane and Peter became successful actors.
- Susan Blanchard (1950-1956). They adopted a daughter named Amy Fishman (born 1953).
- Afdera Franchetti (1957-1961), an Italian baroness.
- Shirlee Mae Adams (1965-1982), who was with him until his death.
Henry Fonda's relationship with his children was sometimes described as "emotionally distant." His son Peter wrote in his autobiography that he was never sure how his father felt about him. His daughter Jane had different political views from her father. She was also frustrated that his acting talent seemed so easy for him.
Political Views
Henry Fonda was first a member of the Republican party. But he later changed and became a supporter of the Democratic Party. He admired U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In 1960, Fonda appeared in a TV ad for presidential candidate John F. Kennedy. He also supported Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1964 election. Later, he supported Ted Kennedy in the 1980 Democratic Party primaries.
Henry Fonda's Films
From 1935 until his last projects in 1981, Henry Fonda appeared in 106 films and television shows. He starred in many classic movies like 12 Angry Men and The Ox-Bow Incident. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his role in The Grapes of Wrath (1940). He won an Academy Award for his part in On Golden Pond (1981). Fonda was well-known for his roles in Westerns (like his villain role in Once Upon a Time in the West) and war films. He also appeared often on television and in foreign movies later in his career.
Death and Legacy
Henry Fonda passed away at his home in Los Angeles on August 12, 1982. He died from heart disease. His wife, Shirlee, and his children, Jane and Peter, were with him. He also had prostate cancer, but that was not the direct cause of his death.
Fonda had asked that no funeral be held. His body was cremated. President Ronald Reagan, who was also a former actor, praised Fonda. He called him "a true professional dedicated to excellence in his craft."
The house where Henry Fonda was born in 1905 is now preserved. You can see it at The Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer in Grand Island, Nebraska.
Henry Fonda is remembered as one of the greatest Hollywood actors of his time. On May 16, 2005, which was 100 years after his birth, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) showed many of his films. Also in May 2005, the United States Post Office released a postage stamp with a drawing of Fonda. This was part of their "Hollywood legends" series. The Fonda Theatre in Hollywood was named after him in 1985.
Famous Quotes by Henry Fonda
- "Without passion, you don't have energy; without energy, you have nothing."
- "I attribute my success to my ability to think positively and to work hard for what I want."
- "The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another."
- "Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success."
Interesting Facts About Henry Fonda
- Even though he was a successful actor, Henry Fonda sometimes felt stage fright (nervousness before performing).
- He acted in over 100 movies.
- In 1938, Henry Fonda played Abraham Lincoln in the movie Young Mr. Lincoln.
- He loved photography.
- His daughter, Jane Fonda, also became a very famous actress.
- In 1976, Henry Fonda received the BAFTA Fellowship Award. This award honors people who have made great contributions to entertainment.
- Henry Fonda has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
- He was known for his deep, clear voice.
- In his last movie, “On Golden Pond,” Henry Fonda worked with the legendary actress Katharine Hepburn.
- Henry Fonda was given the Presidental Medal of Freedom. This is one of the highest awards a civilian can receive in the United States. It recognized his amazing work in the arts.
Awards and Honors
Henry Fonda received many awards and honors throughout his career.
- Academy Awards: He was nominated for Best Actor for The Grapes of Wrath (1940). He won an Honorary Award in 1980. He also won Best Actor for On Golden Pond (1981).
- BAFTA Awards: He won Best Actor for 12 Angry Men (1958).
- Golden Globe Awards: He received the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 1980. He won Best Actor for On Golden Pond (1982).
- Grammy Awards: He won for Best Spoken Word Album for Great American Documents (1977).
- Tony Awards: He won Best Actor in a Play for Mister Roberts (1948). He also received a Special Tony Award in 1979.
- AFI Awards: He received the Life Achievement Award in 1978.
Images for kids
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Henry Fonda in The Lady Eve
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Henry Fonda after joining the United States Navy in November 1942
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Lauren Bacall, Humphrey Bogart, and Henry Fonda in a 1955 TV show
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Henry Fonda in Mister Roberts
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Henry Fonda in How the West Was Won
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Henry Fonda with his daughter Jane, 1943
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Henry Fonda at his son Peter's 1961 wedding
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Janet Blair and Henry Fonda in The Smith Family, 1971
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See also
In Spanish: Henry Fonda para niños
