Jane Fonda Biography
Summary
"Jane Fonda" (born December 21, 1937) is a two-time Academy Award-winning American actress, writer, political activist, former fashion model, and fitness guru. She rose to fame in the 1960s with films such as "Barbarella" and "Cat Ballou" and has appeared in films ever since. She has won two Academy Awards and received several other awards and nominations. She initially announced her retirement from acting in 1991, and said for many years that she would never act again, but she returned to film in 2005 with "Monster in Law", and later "Georgia Rule" released in 2007. She also produced and starred in several exercise videos released between 1982 and 1995.
Fonda has served as an activist for many political causes, one of the most notable and controversial of which was her opposition to the Vietnam War. She has also protested the Iraq War and violence against women. She describes herself as a liberal and a feminist. Since 2001, Fonda has been a Christian. She published an autobiography in 2005 and currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia.
Ancestry and family
Fonda was born in New York City to actor Henry Fonda and socialite Frances Ford Seymour, and named "Lady Jayne Seymour Fonda". Henry Fonda had distant Dutch ancestry, and the surname Fonda originates from Friesland, a northern province of the Netherlands. The 'Lady' part of Jane Fonda's name was apparently inspired by Lady Jane Seymour, to whom she is distantly related on her mother's side. The 'Jayne' comes from her father's mother maidenname Jaynes married to William Brace Fonda born 1879. Her brother, Peter Fonda (born 1939), and her niece Bridget Fonda (born 1964), are also actors. She has an older half-sister, Frances Brokaw, as well as an adopted sister, Amy, who was born in 1953.
When Fonda was twelve years old, her mother committed suicide after voluntarily seeking treatment at a psychiatric hospital. After Seymour's suicide, Henry Fonda married Susan Blanchard. Although all of Henry's children seemed to like Blanchard, Blanchard and Henry Fonda divorced.
Acting career
Before starting her acting career, Fonda was a fashion model, gracing the cover of "Vogue" magazine twice. Fonda became interested in acting in 1954, while appearing with her father in a charity performance of "The Country Girl", at the Omaha Community Theatre. After attending Vassar College in New York, she was introduced by her father to renowned drama teacher Lee Strasberg in 1958, and subsequently joined his Actors Studio.
1960s
Her stage work in the late 1950s laid the foundation for her film career in the 1960s. She averaged almost two movies a year throughout the decade, starting in 1960 with "Tall Story", in which she recreated one of her Broadway roles as a college cheerleader pursuing a basketball star, played by Anthony Perkins. "Period of Adjustment" and "Walk on the Wild Side" followed in 1962. In "A Walk on the Wild Side", Fonda played a prostitute, and earned a Golden Globe for Most Promising Newcomer.
In 1963, she appeared in "Sunday in New York". "Newsday" called her 'the loveliest and most gifted of all our new young actresses'. However, she also had her detractors—in the same year, the "Harvard Lampoon" named her the 'Year's Worst Actress'. Fonda's career breakthrough came with "Cat Ballou" (1965), in which she played a schoolmarm turned outlaw. This comedy Western received five Oscar nominations and was one of the year's top ten films at the box office. It was considered by many to have been the film that brought Fonda to stardom at the age of twenty-eight. After this came the comedies "Any Wednesday" (1966) and "" (1967), the latter co-starring .In 1968, she played the lead role in the spoof "", which established her status as a . In contrast, the tragedy "" (1969) won her critical acclaim, and she earned her first Oscar nomination for the role. Fonda was very selective by the end of the 1960s, turning down lead roles in "" and "".===1970s===Fonda won her first in 1971, again playing a prostitute, the Bree Daniel, in the detective murder mystery "". Her second Award was in 1978 for "", the story of a disabled Vietnam War veteran's difficulty in re-entering civilian life.Between "Klute" in 1971 and "" in 1977, Fonda spent most of the first half of the decade without a major film success, even though she appeared in films such as "" (1973), "" and "" (1976). From comments ascribed to her in interviews, some have inferred that she personally blamed the situation on anger at her outspoken political views - 'I can't say I was blacklisted, but I was greylisted.' However, in her 2005 autobiography, "My Life So Far", it would appear that she categorically rejects such simplification. 'The suggestion is that because of my actions against the war my career had been destroyed ... But the truth is that my career, far from being destroyed after the war, flourished with a vigor it had not previously enjoyed.' From her own point of view, her absence from the silver screen was related more to the fact that her political activism provided a new focus in her life. By the same token her return to acting with a series of 'issue-driven' films was a reflection of this new focus. 'When I hear admonitions ... warning outspoken actors to remember 'what happened to Jane Fonda back in the seventies', this has me scratching my head: And that what would be...?'In 1972, Fonda starred as a reporter alongside in and 's film "". The film's directors then made "", in which the two spend nearly an hour discussing a news photograph of Fonda.Through her production company, IPC Films, she produced films that helped return her to star status. The 1977 comedy film "" is generally considered her 'comeback' picture. She also received positive reviews and an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of playwright in the 1977 film, "". During this period, Fonda announced that she would make films only that focused on important issues, and she generally stuck to her word. She turned down "" because she felt the part was not relevant. She followed with popular and successful films such as "" (1979), about a cover-up of an accident in a ; and "" (1979) with her previous co-star, .===1980s===In 1980, Fonda starred in the office-politics comedy "" with and . Her character was re-entering the workforce after a divorce had devastated both her finances and self-confidence. The film was one of Fonda's greatest financial successes, contributing significantly to her wealth. She had long wanted to work with her father, hoping it would help their strained relationship. She achieved this goal when she was cast as a supporting actress alongside Henry Fonda and in "" (1981). The film brought Henry Fonda his only , which Jane accepted on his behalf, as he was ill and home bound. He died five months later.Fonda continued appearing in feature films throughout the 1980s, most notably her role of Dr. Martha Livingston in "". She finished off the decade by appearing in "", for which she received a worst actress nomination.====Exercise videos====For many years, Fonda was a enthusiast, but after her foot while filming "The China Syndrome", she was no longer able to participate. To compensate, she began actively participating in and strengthening exercises under the direction of Leni Cazden. The "Leni Workout" became the "Jane Fonda Workout" and thus a second career for her, which continued for many years.In 1982, Fonda released her first exercise video, titled "Jane Fonda's Workout", inspired by her best-selling book, "Jane Fonda's Workout Book". The "Jane Fonda's Workout" video eventually sold 17 million copies, the most of any home video ever. The video's release led many people to buy the then-new , in order to watch and perform the workout in the privacy and convenience of their own homes. Fonda subsequently released 23 workout videos, five workout books, and thirteen audio programs. Her most recent original workout video was released in 1995."Exercise videos in chronological order:"*1982: "Jane Fonda's Workout" (aka "Workout Starring Jane Fonda")*1983: "Jane Fonda's Pregnancy, Birth and Recovery Workout"*1983: "Jane Fonda's Workout Challenge"*1984: "Jane Fonda's Prime Time Workout" (re-released as "Jane Fonda's Easy Going Workout")*1985: "Jane Fonda's New Workout"*1986: "Jane Fonda's Low Impact Aerobic Workout"*1987: "Jane Fonda's Start Up" (aka "Start Up with Jane Fonda")*1987: "Jane Fonda's Sports Aid"*1987: "Jane Fonda's Workout with Weights" (re-released as "Jane Fonda's Toning and Shaping")*1988: "Jane Fonda's Complete Workout"*1989: "Jane Fonda's Light Aerobics and Stress Reduction Program" (re-released as "Jane Fonda's Stress Reduction Program")*1990: "Jane Fonda's Lean Routine Workout"*1990: "Jane Fonda's Workout Presents Fun House Fitness: The Swamp Stomp"*1990: "Jane Fonda's Workout Presents Fun House Fitness: The Fun House Funk"*1991: "Jane Fonda's Lower Body Solution"*1992: "Jane Fonda's Step Aerobic and Abdominal Workout"*1993: "Jane Fonda's Favorite Fat Burners"*1993: "Jane Fonda's Yoga Exercise Workout" *1994: "Jane Fonda's Step and Stretch Workout"*1995: "Jane Fonda's Personal Trainer Series: Low Impact Aerobics & Stretch"*1995: "Jane Fonda's Personal Trainer Series: Total Body Sculpting"*1995: "Jane Fonda's Personal Trainer Series: Abs, Buns & Thighs"In 2005, some of Fonda's popular programs were re-released on DVD. One included her "Complete Workout" from 1988 and her "Stress Reduction Program" from 1989, a second DVD included her 1991 "Fun House Fitness" series, and a third DVD included her 1995 "Personal Trainer Series".Fonda has been credited with popularizing the phrase 'go for the burn'.===Retirement and return===In April 1991, after three decades in film, Fonda announced her retirement from the film industry. In May 2005, however, she returned to the screen, after a fourteen-year absence, with the box-office success "", a comedy in which she played the manipulative prospective mother-in-law of 's character.In July 2005, the tabloid "" reported that when asked if she would appear in a sequel to her 1980 hit "", Fonda replied 'I'd love to'.Fonda's most recent project is the -directed, "". She starred along with and . The movie opened in theaters , .In the course of her career, Fonda has received seven nominations, winning twice.==Political activism==During the 1960s, Fonda engaged in in support of the and in .Along with other celebrities, she supported the occupation in 1969, which was intended to call attention to issues. (In the 1990s, she was criticized by Native American activists for making the perceived racist, sports-fan celebration gesture, 'The Tomahawk Chop', at baseball games with her then-husband .)She likewise supported and the in the early 1970s, stating 'Revolution is an act of love; we are the children of revolution, born to be rebels. It runs in our blood.' She called the Black Panthers 'our revolutionary vanguard', and said 'we must support them with love, money, and risk.' In a 1979 appearance at the National Press Club in Washington, DC, she was asked about her past praise for Huey Newton and won laughter and applause for her response: 'I've said a lot of off-the-wall things in my life. All I can say about that is I was naive and utterly wrong.'Fonda has also been involved in the movement since the 1970s, which dovetails with her activism in support of .===Opposition to the Vietnam War===In April 1970, , Fonda and formed the ('Free The Army', a play on the troop expression 'Fuck The Army'), an anti-war road show designed as an answer to 's tour. The tour, referred to as 'political vaudeville' by Fonda, visited military towns along the West Coast, with the goal of establishing a dialogue with soldiers about their upcoming deployments to Vietnam. The dialogue was made into a movie ("F.T.A.") that contained strong, frank criticism of the war by service men and women. It was released in 1972.In the same year, Fonda spoke out against the war at a rally organized by (VVAW) in . She offered to help raise funds for VVAW, and, for her efforts, was rewarded with the title of Honorary National Coordinator. On , , Fonda started a tour of college campuses on which she raised funds for the organization. As noted by the "New York Times", Fonda was a 'major patron' of the VVAW.In March 1971, Fonda traveled to Paris to meet with (NLF) foreign minister Madam . According to a transcript that was translated into Vietnamese and back to English, Fonda told Binh at one point: 'Many of us have seen evidence proving the Nixon administration has escalated the war, causing death and destruction, perhaps as serious as the bombing of Hiroshima.' Afterwards, Fonda traveled to , where she again came under fire for making a speech that discussed the use of by US troops in Vietnam. Her financial support to VVAW at this time was apparently not significant, as the organization ran out of money within a month, and one of its prominent leaders, , was called upon to raise the necessary funds.===='Hanoi Jane'====Fonda visited in July 1972. Among other statements, she repeated the claim that the United States had been stating that 'I believe in my heart, profoundly, that the dikes are being bombed on purpose?. Columnist Joseph Kraft who was also touring North Vietnam, believed that the damage to the dikes was incidental and was being used as propaganda by Hanoi, and that if the U.S. Air Force were 'truly going after the dikes, it would do so in a methodical, not a harum-scarum way.' In Vietnam, Fonda was photographed seated on an used against American aircrews. She also participated in several radio broadcasts on behalf of the Communist regime, asking US aircrews to consider the consequences of their actions. In her 2005 autobiography, she states that she was manipulated into sitting on the battery, and claims to have been immediately horrified at the implications of the pictures. Fonda says that it was not what was in her heart at all, and wasn't the reason why she was even there. She was there to film evidence of the Nixon Administration's plan to blow up the dikes (a plan that Fonda says 'Johnson, to his credit decided not to do'), and the lie the administration had been giving to the public, that troop returns were imminent. She expressed regret for her actions many times over the years, but some Americans remain hostile to her. 'I've learned that a picture does not capture what was actually in your heart.' During this visit she also visited American (POWs), and brought back messages from them to their families. When cases of torture began to emerge among POWs returning to the United States, Fonda called the returning POWs 'hypocrites and liars.' She added, 'These were not men who had been tortured. These were not men who had been starved. These were not men who had been brainwashed.' On the subject of torture in general, Fonda told "" in 1973, 'I'm quite sure that there were incidents of torture... but the pilots who were saying it was the policy of the Vietnamese and that it was systematic, I believe that's a lie.' Several American POWs and other eyewitnesses, including former POW and current US Senator , disagree with this sentiment.The POW camp visits also led to persistent stories-widely circulated on the Internet and via email-that the POWs she met had reviled her or attempted to sneak notes to her, which she had reported to the North Vietnamese, leading to further abuse. These claims are known to be false, circulated to discredit Fonda. Although Fonda's actions in July 1972 did not receive widespread coverage at the time ("The New York Times", for example, ran only a brief UPI story and no photograph), her trip was perceived by many as an unpatriotic display of aid and comfort to the enemy, with some characterizing it as ; the Nixon Administration, however, dismissed calls for legal action against her. Years later, she was labeled as "Hanoi Jane" by her critics and compared to war propagandists and .In 1972, Fonda funded and organized the . It continued to mobilize antiwar activists across the nation after the 1973 , when most other antiwar organizations closed down.====Fonda's regrets====In 1988, Fonda admitted to former American POWs and their families that she had some regrets, stating::'I would like to say something, not just to Vietnam veterans in New England, but to men who were in Vietnam, who I hurt, or whose pain I caused to deepen because of things that I said or did. I was trying to help end the killing and the war, but there were times when I was thoughtless and careless about it and I'm very sorry that I hurt them. And I want to apologize to them and their families. ... I will go to my grave regretting the photograph of me in an anti-aircraft gun, which looks like I was trying to shoot at American planes. It hurt so many soldiers. It galvanized such hostility. It was the most horrible thing I could possibly have done. It was just thoughtless.'On the "" program, Fonda noted that her regrets were limited to the photo appearance with the anti-aircraft gun, and that she was 'proud' of her activism against 'the '.In a "" interview on March 31, 2005, Fonda reiterated that she had no regrets about her trip to North Vietnam in 1972, with the exception of the anti-aircraft gun photo. She stated that the incident was a 'betrayal' of American forces and of the 'country that gave me privilege'. Fonda said, 'The image of Jane Fonda, , 's daughter ... sitting on an enemy aircraft gun was a betrayal ... the largest lapse of judgment that I can even imagine.' She later distinguished between regret over the use of her image as and pride for her anti-war activism: 'There are hundreds of American delegations that had met with the POWs. Both sides were using the POWs for propaganda... It's not something that I will apologize for.' Fonda said she had no regrets about the broadcasts she made on Radio Hanoi, something she asked the North Vietnamese to do: 'Our government was lying to us and men were dying because of it, and I felt I had to do anything that I could to expose the lies and help end the war.'===Feminist causes===Fonda has been a longtime supporter of feminist causes, including , a movement to stop violence against women, inspired by the off-Broadway hit "", of which she is an honorary chairperson. She was present at their first summit in 2002, bringing together founder , Afghan women oppressed by the , and a Kenyan activist campaigning to save girls from .In 2001, Fonda established the at in ; the goal of the center is to prevent adolescent pregnancy through training and program development.On , , Fonda led a march through , with , , and other women, urging to provide sufficient resources to newly appointed officials helping investigate the murders of hundreds of women in the rough border city.Fonda strongly feels that many are damaging to individuals of both genders. In 2004, she served as a mentor to the first ever all- cast of "The Vagina Monologues".In the days before the Swedish election on , , Fonda came to to support the new political party in their election campaign.In "My Life So Far", Fonda says that she considers to be harmful to men as well as women. She also states that for many years, she feared to call herself a feminist, because she believed that all feminists were 'anti-male'. But now, with her increased understanding of patriarchy, she feels that feminism is beneficial to both men and women, and states that she 'still loves men'. She states that when she divorced Ted Turner, she felt like she had also divorced the world of patriarchy, and was very happy to have done so. On , , Fonda spoke at the on 'Feminization of Poverty', however the lecture dealt more with the subject of patriarchy. Nonetheless she was granted a standing ovation by both students and faculty, following her 50 minute address.===Native Americans===Fonda came to Seattle in 1970 to plead the case of Native Americans led by , who had invaded and occupied part of the grounds of , intending to secure a land base to serve Indians in which had the largest 'urban Indian' population in the Northwest. Urban Indians are those who left the reservations in search of jobs in cities but remained in poverty since they could not get federal benefits off-reservation. Fort Lawton was in the process of being surplussed by the Army and turned into a park by the city of Seattle, and Fonda came to Seattle to help Whitebear argue 'Indians had a right to part of the land that was originally all theirs.' Ultimately Whitebear and Fonda were successful, leading to the construction of the in Seattle's Discovery Park.===Israeli-Palestinian conflict===Fonda continued to participate in political activism, particularly in connection with the . During a trip to in 2002 (billed as a promotion of 'world peace'), Fonda was criticized by right wing is, and heckled as she arrived for a meeting with leading Israeli feminists. Three hecklers, members of , criticized her controversial stance during the Vietnam War, her stance toward Israel, and said that she 'came to Israel as a guest of '.===Opposition to the Iraq War===Fonda has argued that the military campaign in Iraq will turn people all over the world against America, and has asserted that a global hatred of America will result in more terrorist attacks in the aftermath of the war. In July 2005, Fonda said that some of the war veterans she had met while on her book tour had urged her to speak out against the .In September 2005, Fonda and postponed their bus tour due to the slow start to the relief operation now underway in the , which had been devastated by .Fonda then planned to take a bus tour in March 2006 with her and several families of military veterans but later scrapped her plans, mostly because she felt like she would distract attention from 's activism. She remains opposed to the Iraq War and to in general.On January 27, 2007, Fonda participated in an anti-war rally held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., declaring that 'silence is no longer an option.'Members of the conservative organization staged a counter-protest which included a life-sized effigy of Fonda with a sign reading 'Jane Fonda; American Traitor; Bitch.' ===Anti-Fonda protests===Protestors in , led by a Republican political activist who was a WWII veteran, threatened to disrupt filming of Fonda's 1990 picture "", but when filming began she was well-received by the community, and the city's Board of Aldermen decisively defeated a resolution saying she was not welcome in the city. In the , her name was used as a disparaging epithet against , the former leader, who was then the presidential candidate. Chairman called Kerry a 'Jane Fonda Democrat'. In addition, Kerry's opponents circulated a photograph showing Fonda and Kerry in the same large crowd at a 1970 anti-war rally, although they were sitting several rows apart. A faked , which gave the false impression that the two had shared a speaker's platform, was also circulated. Fonda appeared on to defend Kerry against these attacks.In early 1982 the initial showings of the movie "" in , were protested by a group of approximately 20 members of the UC Davis College Republicans, who held signs, handed out flyers, and marched in a circle on the sidewalk to draw attention to elements of her political activism which they considered unpatriotic.==Christianity==In 2001, Fonda publicly announced that she had become a . She strongly opposes , , and , which she believes are promoted by a small minority of Christians. Her announcement came shortly after her divorce from . Fonda stated publicly on "" in April 2006 that her Christianity may have played a part in the divorce as Turner had allegedly criticized religion.==Autobiography==On , , released Fonda's autobiography "My Life So Far". The book describes her life as a series of three acts, each thirty years long, and declares that her third 'act' will be her most significant, due in part to her commitment to the Christian religion, and that it will determine the things she will be remembered for. Fonda also claims that her autobiography shows that 'she is so much more than what we as knows her as'.Fonda's autobiography was praised by the "", "", and several other s. Fonda has held book-signing events all over the since publishing her book.==Romantic relationships==Fonda's first husband, from 1965-1973, was film director , with whom she had a daughter, born in 1968 and named for actress and activist . According to her 2005 autobiography, Fonda participated in sexual at Vadim's suggestion. In 1973, shortly after her divorce from Vadim, Fonda married author and politician . Their son, (born 1973) was given his paternal grandmother's surname. 'Troy' was an Americanization of the name of a Vietnamese man accused of conspiring to kill Robert McNamara in Vietnam. With Hayden, she also raised a , , who is an activist born to members of the . Fonda and Hayden divorced in 1990. Fonda's third husband (1991-2001) was cable-television tycoon and founder . In "My Life So Far", Fonda says she 'left the father's house' when she divorced Turner. In addition to having become a Christian, Fonda's desire to disassociate herself from may have contributed to the divorce.Fonda has also had romantic relationships with , a film director, with whom she was involved in 1960; , with whom she co-starred in "Klute" and dated in the 1970s; and , a hairdresser whom she dated in the 1990s.In 2007, she met a new partner, , at a book-signing in New York. When he walked up to her for her to sign his book she said 'Wow, you look like a movie star!' Gillis then gave her his business card and told her she should call him. Fonda accidentally lost the card. Later, she appeared on the "" and told the story. She pleaded with him to call her office, which he did, then got scared and hung up when she said hello.==Film awards and nominations=====Academy Awards===*1969 - Nominated - - ""*1971 - Won - Best Actress in a Leading Role - ""*1977 - Nominated - Best Actress in a Leading Role - ""*1978 - Won - Best Actress in a Leading Role - ""*1979 - Nominated - Best Actress in a Leading Role - ""*1981 - Nominated - - ""*1986 - Nominated - Best Actress in a Leading Role - ""===Golden Globes===*1961: Golden Globe; Most Promising Newcomer — Female*1971: Golden Globe; Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Drama), ""*1972: Golden Globe; World Film Favorite — Female*1977: Golden Globe; Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Drama), ""*1978: Golden Globe; World Film Favorite — Female*1978: Golden Globe; Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Drama), ""===Others===*1984: ; Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or a Special, ""==Filmography=====Further notes===* Andersen, Christopher. "Citizen Jane". 1990: Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 0-8050-0959-0.* Davidson, Bill. "Jane Fonda: An Intimate Biography". 1991: New American Library. ISBN 0-451-17028-8.* Fine, Carla and Jane Fonda. "Strong, Smart, and Bold: Empowering Girls for Life". 2001: Collins. ISBN 0-06-019771-4.* Fonda, Jane. " (My Life So Far) ". 2005: Random House. ISBN 0-375-50710-8.* Fonda, Jane. "Jane Fonda's Workout Book". 1986: Random House Value Publishing. ISBN 0-517-40908-9.* Fonda, Jane, with Mignon McCarthy. "Women Coming of Age". 1987: Random House Value Publishing. ISBN 5-550-36643-6.* Fox, Mary Virginia and Mary Molina. "Jane Fonda: Something to Fight for". 1980: Dillon Press. ISBN 0-87518-189-9.* Freedland, Michael. "Jane Fonda: The Many Lives of One of Hollywood's Greatest Stars". 1989: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0-00-637390-9.* French, Sean. "Jane Fonda: A Biography". 1998: Trafalgar Square Publishing. ISBN 1-85793-658-2.*Gilmore, John. "Laid Bare: A Memoir of Wrecked Lives and the Hollywood Death Trip". Amok Books, 1997. ISBN 1-878923-08-0.* Hershberger, Mary. Peace work, war myths: Jane Fonda and the antiwar movement. "Peace & Change", Vol. 29, No. 3&4, July 2004.* Hershberger, Mary. "Jane Fonda's War: A Political Biography of an Antiwar Icon". 2005: New Press. ISBN 1-56584-988-4.* Kiernan, Thomas. "Jane: an intimate biography of Jane Fonda". 1973: Putnam. ISBN 0-399-11207-3.* Mickey Avalon song, 'Jane Fonda' 2007==References====External links==**** (Jane Fonda Profile) at * (Jane Fonda's campaign contributions) * (Spotlight on Jane Fonda) * (About.com article about Fonda's Vietnam era activities) * (Jane Fonda and Gloria Steinem discuss The Women's Media Center, their non-profit media organization. (video)) *: Resistance Inside the Armies* (Fonda Family Genealogy) * (Jane Fonda's official website with screenshot-galleries of her workout videos) * (Jane Fonda interview) * (Text of Jane Fonda Hanoi Radio Broadcast)
Credit
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article about Jane Fonda.
