Jane Fonda facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jane Fonda
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Fonda in 2015
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Jane Seymour Fonda
December 21, 1937 Manhattan, New York, U.S.
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| Other names | Jane Seymour Plemiannikov |
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| Years active | 1959–present |
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| Political party | Democratic |
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| Partner(s) | Richard Perry (2009–2017) |
| Children | 3, including Troy Garity and Mary Williams (de facto adopted) |
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| Awards | Full list |
Jane Seymour Fonda (born December 21, 1937) is a famous American actress and activist. She is known as a film icon, with a career spanning over six decades in movies and television. Jane Fonda has won many important awards. These include two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, seven Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. She has also been nominated for a Grammy Award and two Tony Awards.
Fonda has received special honors for her long career. These include the Honorary Palme d'Or in 2007 and the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2014. She also received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in 2017 and the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2021. In 2025, she received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award.
Jane Fonda was born to Frances Ford Seymour and actor Henry Fonda. She started her acting career in the romantic comedy Tall Story (1960). She became very popular starring in comedies like Cat Ballou (1965) and Barefoot in the Park (1967). Other popular films include Barbarella (1968), Fun with Dick and Jane (1977), and 9 to 5 (1980).
She also became known as a serious dramatic actress. She won two Academy Awards for Best Actress. One was for her role in the thriller Klute (1971). The other was for playing a woman in love with a Vietnam War veteran in Coming Home (1978). She was also nominated for Oscars for films like They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969) and On Golden Pond (1981). After taking a break for 15 years, she returned to acting in Monster-in-Law (2005) and Youth (2015).
On stage, Fonda first appeared on Broadway in There Was a Little Girl (1960). She was nominated for a Tony Award for this role. In 2009, she returned to Broadway in 33 Variations, earning another Tony nomination. For her television work, she won a Primetime Emmy Award for The Dollmaker (1984). She also received Emmy nominations for her roles in The Newsroom (2012–2014) and Grace and Frankie (2015–2022).
Fonda was also a political activist during the 1960s. She protested the Vietnam War and was photographed in Hanoi in 1972. She also spoke out against the Iraq War and violence against women. Jane Fonda describes herself as a feminist and an environmental activist. She helped start the Hollywood Women's Political Committee in 1984 and the Women's Media Center in 2005. Fonda is also famous for her exercise videos, starting with Jane Fonda's Workout (1982). This video became the best-selling videotape of its time.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jane Seymour Fonda was born on December 21, 1937, in New York City. Her parents were Frances Ford Seymour and actor Henry Fonda. Her family name, Fonda, comes from an Italian ancestor who moved to the Netherlands in the 1500s. Jane Fonda also has English, French, and Scottish family roots. She was named after Jane Seymour, a queen who was the third wife of Henry VIII.
When Jane was 12, her mother passed away under sad circumstances. Later that year, her father married Susan Blanchard. Jane taught dance when she was 15. She attended several schools, including Vassar College. Before she became an actress, she worked as a model. She appeared on the cover of Vogue magazine twice.
Fonda became interested in acting in 1954. She performed with her father in a play. After leaving Vassar, she studied art in Paris for six months. In 1958, she met Lee Strasberg, a famous acting teacher. This meeting changed her life. Fonda said that Strasberg told her she had "real talent." This made her feel confident and excited about acting.
Acting Career Highlights
Starting Out in the 1960s
Jane Fonda's early stage work helped her start her film career in the 1960s. She made about two movies each year. Her first film was Tall Story in 1960. In 1962, she starred in Walk on the Wild Side. For this role, she won a Golden Globe award for Most Promising Newcomer. In 1963, she starred in Sunday in New York. Critics praised her as a talented young actress.
Her career really took off with Cat Ballou (1965). In this comedy Western, she played a schoolteacher who becomes an outlaw. The film was very popular and received five Oscar nominations. Many people saw this film as the one that made Fonda a major star. The next year, she acted with Robert Redford in The Chase. She also made The Game Is Over (1966) in France. After this, she starred in comedies like Any Wednesday (1966) and Barefoot in the Park (1967) with Redford.
In 1968, she played the main role in the science fiction comedy Barbarella. This movie made her a very popular and attractive star. In contrast, the serious film They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969) brought her great praise from critics. This film was a big turning point in her career. For her performance, she won the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress. She also received her first Academy Awards nomination for Best Actress.
Success and Awards in the 1970s
In the 1970s, Jane Fonda received much praise for her acting. She continued to develop her talent, which made her stand out.
Fonda won her first Academy Award for Best Actress in 1971. This was for her role as Bree Daniels in the thriller Klute. Before filming, Fonda spent time learning about the character's life. Critics loved Klute and Fonda's performance. One critic said she was "fully in control" and "extraordinarily economical" in her acting. Another critic, Roger Ebert, said she had a "nervous intensity" that made her fascinating to watch. During the 1971–1972 awards season, Fonda won many major awards for this role. She received her first Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama and her first National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress.
Between 1971 and 1977, Fonda did not have many big film successes. She appeared in A Doll's House (1973) and The Blue Bird (1976). Some people thought her political views affected her career. However, Fonda later said that her career actually grew stronger after the Vietnam War. She focused more on political activism during this time. Her return to acting in films that dealt with important issues showed this new focus.
In 1977, Fonda starred in the comedy Fun with Dick and Jane. This film is seen as her "comeback" movie. Critics praised her funny performance. Also in 1977, she played the writer Lillian Hellman in Julia. She received very good reviews for this role. For Julia, Fonda won her first BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role and her second Golden Globe Award. She also received her third Oscar nomination.
During this time, Fonda decided to only make films that focused on important issues. In 1978, Fonda reached a peak in her career. She won her second Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as Sally Hyde in Coming Home. This film was about a disabled Vietnam War veteran. The movie was a big success and received positive reviews. Fonda's performance earned her a third Golden Globe Award. Also in 1978, she starred in Comes a Horseman and had a supporting role in California Suite.
She won her second BAFTA Award for Best Actress in 1979 for The China Syndrome. This film was about a problem at a nuclear power plant. Fonda played a smart television news reporter. Critics praised her performance, saying she kept getting "better and better." This role also earned her Oscar and Golden Globe nominations. The same year, she starred in The Electric Horseman with Robert Redford. This film was a box office success. By the late 1970s, Jane Fonda was considered Hollywood's most successful actress.
Becoming an Established Star and Taking a Break
In 1980, Fonda starred in 9 to 5 with Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton. This film was a huge success. Fonda had always wanted to work with her father, Henry Fonda. She bought the rights to the play On Golden Pond so they could act together. The film showed a father-daughter relationship that was similar to their real lives. They became the first father-daughter duo to be nominated for Oscars for roles in the same film. On Golden Pond also starred Katharine Hepburn. Henry Fonda won his only Academy Award for Best Actor for this film. Jane accepted the award for him because he was ill. He passed away five months later. Both 9 to 5 and On Golden Pond earned over $100 million.
Fonda continued to make movies in the 1980s. She won an Emmy Award for her role in The Dollmaker (1984). She also starred in Agnes of God (1985). The next year, she played an actress suspected of murder in The Morning After (1986) with Jeff Bridges. For this role, she was nominated for another Academy Award for Best Actress. She ended the decade with Old Gringo.
Jane Fonda also started a second career with her exercise videos. She had fractured her foot and could no longer do ballet. So, she started doing aerobics and strengthening exercises. Her first exercise video, Jane Fonda's Workout (1982), became a huge hit. It sold over a million copies and encouraged many people to buy VCRs to exercise at home. She released 23 workout videos in total, selling 17 million copies. She also published five workout books. After a 15-year break, she released new fitness videos for older audiences in 2010.
In 1990, she starred in the romantic drama Stanley & Iris with Robert De Niro. This was her last film for 15 years. In 1991, after three decades in movies, Fonda decided to take a break from the film industry.
Returning to Acting and Broadway
In 2005, Jane Fonda returned to acting in the successful film Monster-in-Law, starring with Jennifer Lopez. Two years later, she appeared in Georgia Rule with Felicity Huffman and Lindsay Lohan. Critics had mixed feelings about Georgia Rule, but many praised Fonda's performance. In 2009, Fonda returned to Broadway for the first time since 1963. She played Katherine Brandt in 33 Variations. Her role earned her a Tony nomination for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play.
Fonda played a main role in the 2011 French film All Together. The same year, she starred in Peace, Love and Misunderstanding, playing a hippie grandmother. In 2012, Fonda began a recurring role as Leona Lansing in the HBO drama The Newsroom. She received two Emmy nominations for this role.
In 2013, Fonda had a small role in The Butler, playing First Lady Nancy Reagan. Fonda said she had no trouble playing the role despite political differences. Critics praised her performance. She also appeared in comedies like Better Living Through Chemistry and This is Where I Leave You in 2014. She voiced a character on The Simpsons. In 2015, she played an acting star in Youth, earning a Golden Globe Award nomination. She also appeared in Fathers and Daughters (2015).
Grace and Frankie and Recent Roles
Fonda starred as a main character in the Netflix series Grace and Frankie. She and Lily Tomlin played older women whose husbands reveal they are in love with each other. The show premiered in 2015 and finished in 2022 after seven seasons.
In 2016, Fonda voiced a character in Elena and the Secret of Avalor.
Fonda worked with Robert Redford for the fourth time in the 2017 film Our Souls at Night. The film and Fonda's acting received great reviews. In 2018, she starred in the romantic comedy Book Club with Diane Keaton, Mary Steenburgen, and Candice Bergen. The film was a big success at the box office. An HBO documentary called Jane Fonda in Five Acts was released in 2018. It covered her life, acting career, and activism.
Fonda filmed the final season of Grace and Frankie in 2021. She also appeared in Yearly Departed in December 2021. In 2023, Fonda joined the cast of 80 for Brady with Lily Tomlin, Rita Moreno, and Sally Field. She and Tomlin also starred in Moving On. Her third project for 2023 was Book Club: The Next Chapter, filmed in Italy.
Political Activism and Advocacy
Early Activism and Civil Rights
During the 1960s, Jane Fonda became involved in political activism. She supported the Civil Rights Movement and spoke out against the Vietnam War. She also supported the Occupation of Alcatraz Island by Native American groups in 1969. This protest aimed to highlight government failures regarding treaty rights.
In the early 1970s, she supported the Black Panthers, a group working for civil rights. Fonda has been involved in the feminist movement since the 1970s. She connects her activism to supporting civil rights for all.
In 1984, Fonda and Barbra Streisand helped create the Hollywood Women's Political Committee (HWPC). This group aimed to support political candidates and promote progressive goals. The HWPC was very influential in politics for many years.
Speaking Out Against the Vietnam War
In 1970, Fonda spoke at the University of New Mexico about the rights of soldiers. She also joined a protest march. That same year, she spoke against the war at a rally for Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW). She helped raise money for the VVAW and became an Honorary National Coordinator.
In 1971, Fonda, along with Fred Gardner and Donald Sutherland, created the FTA tour. This was an anti-war road show that visited military towns. It aimed to talk with soldiers about their feelings on the war. A movie called F.T.A. was made about this tour.
Visit to Hanoi
In July 1972, Jane Fonda visited Hanoi in North Vietnam. She wanted to see the damage from bombings. She toured and photographed dike systems, which are walls that hold back water. She said the U.S. had been intentionally targeting these dikes. Other journalists also reported damage to the dikes.
During her visit, Fonda was photographed sitting on a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun. This photo caused a lot of anger among some Americans. She was given the nickname "Hanoi Jane." In her autobiography, Fonda said she was upset by the photo's meaning. She explained that she was laughing and clapping with soldiers and sat down without thinking. She said it was a "two-minute lapse of sanity that will haunt me forever." She has apologized many times for any pain this photo caused to servicemen and their families.
Fonda also made radio broadcasts on Hanoi Radio during her visit. She talked about the bombing damage and criticized U.S. military policy. She visited American prisoners of war (POWs) and brought messages back to their families.
In 1972, Fonda helped fund the Indochina Peace Campaign. This group continued to work against the war until the U.S. withdrew from Vietnam in 1975. Some veterans still feel upset about her visit to North Vietnam. For example, a tradition at the U.S. Naval Academy that involved shouting about Jane Fonda was later stopped. In 2005, a U.S. Navy veteran spat chewing tobacco in Fonda's face at a book signing. He said she had "spit in our faces for 37 years." Fonda chose not to press charges. In 2024, Los Angeles County tried to name a day after Jane Fonda for her environmental work. This caused a strong reaction from the Vietnamese American community because it was on the same day as Black April, when Saigon fell. The date was later changed.
Regrets
In a 1988 interview, Fonda expressed regret for some of her past actions and words. She said she was trying to help end the war but was sometimes "thoughtless and careless." She apologized to veterans and their families for any pain she caused. She specifically regretted the photo of her on the anti-aircraft gun. She called it "the most horrible thing I could possibly have done."
In a 2005 interview, Fonda repeated that she had no regrets about her trip to North Vietnam, except for the anti-aircraft gun photo. She called the photo a "betrayal" and a "lapse of judgment." However, she said she did not regret her anti-war activism. She believed the government was lying, and she felt she had to help end the war.
Government Monitoring
In 2013, it was revealed that Jane Fonda was one of about 1,600 Americans whose communications were monitored by the National Security Agency (NSA) between 1967 and 1973. This was part of a program called Project MINARET. Her communications, and those of her husband Tom Hayden, were also intercepted by British intelligence.
Women's Media Center
In 2005, Jane Fonda, along with Robin Morgan and Gloria Steinem, co-founded the Women's Media Center. This organization works to make women's voices heard in the media. They do this through advocacy, training, and creating original content. Fonda serves on the board of this organization.
LGBTQ+ Support
Jane Fonda has often shown her support for the LGBTQ+ community. In August 2021, she and the cast of Grace and Frankie supported a fundraiser for the Los Angeles LGBT Center. This event helped LGBTQ+ community members during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fonda spoke out as an LGBTQ+ ally long before it was common. In a 1979 interview, she said that the gay community faced discrimination. She hoped they would use her as an advocate, but stressed that they were a powerful movement on their own.
Native American Rights
In 1970, Fonda went to Seattle to support a group of Native Americans led by Bernie Whitebear. This group occupied part of Fort Lawton to secure land for services for the local urban Indian population. Their efforts led to the creation of the Daybreak Star Cultural Center.
Fonda has also criticized oil pipelines. She believes they are built without permission on Native American tribal land. In 2017, she said that building pipelines without the consent of indigenous people goes against treaties.
Environmentalism
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In 2015, Fonda expressed disapproval of President Barack Obama allowing Arctic drilling. In July, she marched in a protest in Toronto called the "March for Jobs, Justice, and Climate." This march aimed to show that climate change is connected to many other issues.
Fonda has been a strong opponent of oil developments due to their negative effects on the environment. In 2017, she criticized Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. She said he had not kept his promises about climate change and respecting treaties with indigenous people.
Since at least 2019, she has supported global environmental groups like GreenFaith and 350.org. She spoke at the Fire Drill Fridays protest in Washington, D.C., which criticized the fossil fuel industry.
In October 2019, Fonda was arrested three times in a row while protesting climate change outside the United States Capitol. She was arrested with other activists and actors like Sam Waterston and Ted Danson. On December 5, 2019, Fonda explained her reasons in a New York Times article. In March 2022, Fonda started the Jane Fonda Climate PAC. This group aims to remove politicians who support the fossil fuel industry.
In September 2023, she participated in New York City's March to End Fossil Fuels. In 2024, she was a special guest at a Food & Water Watch event.
Artificial Intelligence
In September 2024, Fonda joined over 125 actors, directors, and musicians. They signed an open letter asking Governor Gavin Newsom to sign SB 1047. This Californian bill aims to ensure AI safety. The letter stated that "Grave threats from AI used to be the stuff of science fiction, but not anymore." It urged AI companies to put "reasonable safeguards" in place.
Other Activities
Writing and Books
On April 5, 2005, Random House published Jane Fonda's autobiography, My Life So Far. The book describes her life in three parts, each 30 years long. She believes her third "act" will be the most important. She also talks about her commitment to Christianity.
Her autobiography was well-received by critics. One review called it "as beguiling and as maddening as Jane Fonda herself." The New York Times called the book "achingly poignant."
In January 2009, Fonda started a blog about her return to Broadway. She also uses Twitter and has a Facebook page. In 2011, Fonda published a new book called Prime Time: Love, health, ..., fitness, friendship, spirit – making the most of all of your life. This book shares stories from her life and others. It gives her ideas on how to live well in later years. On September 8, 2020, HarperCollins published Fonda's book, What Can I Do?: The Truth About Climate Change and How to Fix It.
Charitable Work
Jane Fonda's charitable work focuses on young people and education, adolescent health, the environment, and the arts. She used the money from her successful exercise videos and books to fund the Campaign for Economic Democracy. This was a lobbying group she started with her second husband, Tom Hayden, in 1978.
Fonda also established the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power and Potential (GCAPP) in the mid-1990s. She founded the Fonda Family Foundation in the late 1990s. In 2004, Fonda started the Jane Fonda Foundation with a million dollars of her own money. She works about 10 hours a week for this foundation. Since 2017, she has sold merchandise on her website. The money from these sales goes to GCAPP.
Personal Life
Relationships and Family
Jane Fonda writes in her autobiography that she had her first relationship at age 18. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, she dated several people, including actors and producers.
Fonda married her first husband, French film director Roger Vadim, on August 14, 1965. They had a daughter named Vanessa Vadim, born in 1968. They separated in 1972 and divorced in 1973. In the early 1970s, Fonda also had relationships with political organizer Fred Gardner and her Klute co-star Donald Sutherland.
On January 19, 1973, Fonda married activist Tom Hayden. She was three months pregnant when they married. Their son, Troy O'Donovan Garity, was born on July 7, 1973. In 1982, Fonda and Hayden unofficially adopted an African-American teenager named Mary Luana Williams (Lulu). Fonda and Hayden separated in 1988 and divorced in 1990.
Fonda married her third husband, media owner Ted Turner, on December 21, 1991. They separated in 2000 and divorced in 2001. After this, she had a relationship with record producer Richard Perry from 2009 to 2017. In 2017, when asked about love, Fonda said, "Nothing. I'm not cut out for it!"
In a 2018 interview, Fonda said that until she was 62, she often felt she needed approval from men to feel valuable. She believes this was partly because her mother passed away early, leaving her without a female role model. She said she learned that this was a problem with some men in her life. In 2018, she stated, "I'm not dating anymore, but I did up until a couple of years ago. I'm 80."
Faith and Well-being
Jane Fonda grew up without a specific religion but became interested in Christianity in the early 2000s. She describes her beliefs as being "outside of established religion." She sees God as a "Spirit (or soul)" that lives within everyone. She practices zazen (a type of meditation) and yoga.
Health Journey
As a child, Fonda struggled with her self-image. She felt she was not good enough, partly due to messages from her father. She said, "I was taught by my father... that how I looked was all that mattered." She later realized that "we're not meant to be perfect, we're meant to be whole." As an adult, Fonda faced eating challenges for many years. She said she recovered in her 40s, realizing she had to choose to "live or ... die."
In her later years, Fonda was diagnosed with breast cancer and osteoporosis. She had surgery for breast cancer in 2010 and recovered. In 2019, she shared that she had a cancerous growth removed from her lip and other growths from her skin. In 2022, Fonda was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and began chemotherapy. On December 15, 2022, Fonda announced that her cancer was in remission and her chemotherapy would stop.
Awards and Honors
In 1962, Fonda was given the honorary title of "Miss Army Recruiting." In 1981, she received the Women in Film Crystal Award. In 1994, the United Nations Population Fund made Fonda a Goodwill Ambassador. In 2004, she received the Women's eNews 21 Leaders for the 21st Century award. In 2007, the Cannes Film Festival gave Fonda an Honorary Palme d'Or for her career achievements.
In December 2008, Fonda was added to the California Hall of Fame. In 2009, she received the National German Sustainability Award and the New York Women's Agenda Lifetime Achievement Award. She was also chosen for the AFI Life Achievement Award in 2014. In 2017, she received a Goldene Kamera lifetime achievement award. In 2021, she received a Cecil B. DeMille Award at the 78th Golden Globe Awards. In 2025, she received a Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award at the 31st Screen Actors Guild Awards.
She was one of fifteen women featured on the cover of the September 2019 issue of British Vogue. In 2019, she was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame. The next year, she was on the BBC's 100 Women list. In September 2023, Fonda received the John Steinbeck “In the Souls of the People” Award.
See also
In Spanish: Jane Fonda para niños
- List of actors with Academy Award nominations
- List of actors with two or more Academy Award nominations in acting categories
- List of actors with two or more Academy Awards in acting categories
- List of peace activists
