
Jane Fonda
actor | activist | fitness guru
Two-time Oscar winner. Outspoken political activist. Home fitness phenom. And, bestselling author.
Jane Fonda made a name for herself as an actor. Then, she used her name to help make a difference. From standing up for social justice to starting a camp for underprivileged kids to sparking an exercise industry aimed at helping working women, she has been a champion for good. Or, ~ as she puts it ~ a "cheerleader."
Through her extraordinary life, Jane has also inspired many simply by being honest about the personal + social challenges she's faced. Her steady positivity reminds us: "It's never too late ~ never too late to start over, never too late to be happy."
award-winning acting | iconic roles in 9 to 5, On Golden Pond, Barbarella... | 2 Oscars + an Emmy
bold politics | outspoken, Left-leaning activism ~ from protesting the Vietnam War to co-founding the Campaign for Economic Democracy to door-knocking for her husband's senate bid
Jane Fonda's Workouts | sparking the home fitness industry ~ and, the most popular home videos of all time
leg warmers + leotards | the ballet lover's signature active wear
1960 | made her Broadway + big-screen debuts ~ in There Was a Little Girl and Tall Story
1971 + 1978 | won Best Actress Oscars for roles in the murder mystery Klute and Vietnam War-era drama Coming Home
2005 | co-founded the Women's Media Center with fellow feminists Gloria Steinem + Robin Morgan
from | to
"a back-combed blonde with false eyelashes" | celebrated actor + political activist + fitness mogul
born on
December 21, 1937
born in
New York City, New York
birth name
Lady Jayne Seymour Fonda
~ named after Henry VIII's 3rd wife...a distant relative ~
nickname
Jane
Lady Jane
Hanoi Jane
~ after her 1972 radio broadcast in support of North Vietnam ~
citizen of
The United States of America
daughter of
Henry Fonda
~ leading man + WWII Navy lieutenant ~
Frances Ford Brokaw
~ Canadian socialite | committed suicide when Jane was 12 ~
sister of
1 brother | Peter
1 half-sister | Frances
educated at
Greenwich Academy
~ Greenwich, Connecticut ~
Vassar College
~ Poughkeepsie, New York ~
loved studying
dance + acting
married to | divorced from
Roger Vadim
~ French film director | 1965 - 1973~
Tom Hayden
~ Democratic politician | 1973 - 1990 ~
Ted Turner
~ media mogul | 1991 - 2001 ~
mother of
Vanessa Vadim
~ named after actor Vanessa Redgrave ~
Troy Garity
~ given his paternal grandmother's last name instead of Jane's or Tom's ~
advocate for
anti-war activism
the Campaign for Economic Democracy
youth development + reproductive health
feminist media
influenced by | worked alongside
Marlon Brando
Gloria Steinem
in her spare time
danced ballet
meditates
reads
tweets @
@JaneFonda
image credits
Georges Biard | Wikimedia Commons | CC A-SA 3.0
"This is a war against Vietnam perhaps, but the tragedy is America's."
Broadcast Over Radio Hanoi To American Servicemen Involved In The Indochina War | september 1972
"Everyone should know that feeling of overcoming fear and mastering something. People who aren't taught that become soggy."
Jane Fonda's Workout Book | 1981
"The most incredible beauty and the most satisfying way of life come from affirming your own uniqueness."
Jane Fonda's Workout Book | 1981
"Refuse to be afraid that we will no longer be considered attractive and acceptable when we are strong."
Jane Fonda's Workout Book | 1981
"Very often people can only open their hearts and minds to new ideas if it's done gently."
Political Bedfellows | may 1982
"A man has every season while a woman only has the right to spring."
The Daily Mail | september 1989
"Discipline...doesn't mean tightness and rigidity, or punishment for wrongdoing. It means being so committed and so fully contained that you can let go; so deeply connected that you can detach; so strong that you can be gentle."
My Life So Far | 2005
"A camp experience can transform a bully into a brother, a shy girl into someone unafraid to express herself, an urban kid who had been afraid of long grass into a real outdoorsman."
My Life So Far | 2005
"Never underestimate what might be lying dormant beneath the surface of a back-combed blonde wearing false eyelashes. All she might need is to be asked."
My Life So Far | 2005
"I don’t remember exactly when I realized that, in spite of myself, this little Workout video had given birth to a new industry."
30th Anniversary of My First Workout Video | april 2012
"'No' is a complete sentence."
Jane Fonda's Painful Childhood Inspires Her to Help Today's Teens | march 2014
for further reading about Jane Fonda:
curated with care by Alicia Williamson {january 2015}
Publicity photo of Jane Fonda for the film Sunday in New York (1963)
After dabbling in modeling, Jane broke into acting in 1960 ~ earning a Tony nod for first ever role on Broadway. After a solid film career in the 1960s + 70s, Jane took a break from Hollywood, but returned to the silver screen in 2005 as the title character in Monster-in-Law. Her most recent project ~ a Netflix original series Grace and Frankie ~ saw her reunited with her 9 to 5 co-star Lily Tomlin. Can't wait to watch!
MGM | public domain
Jane, Peter and Henry Fonda
A family of film stars...Jane's father Henry was best known for his portrayal of Tom Joad; the 2 starred together in On Golden Pond. Peter went for more indie roles ~ and is best known for co-starring with Dennis Hopper in the cult classic Easy Rider.
Kate Gabrielle | Classic Film Scans | CC BY 2.0
Jane Fonda at an anti-Vietnam War conference in The Hague in January 1975
Jane took a vocal stand against the Vietnam War ~ even becoming a controversial figure in the US for her good will visit to North Vietnam and communist {"with a small c"} politics. In 2007, she supported peace protests again by speaking at a demonstration against the Iraq War. Jane is well-known for being an activist in many causes.
Dutch National Archives | CC BY-SA 3.0
Jane Fonda's Workout Book
Jane's 1981 health & fitness classic offers practical tips, tough love + powerful advice for daily living that still speak to today. The book was such a hit, it stayed on the bestseller list 2 years {eventually leading the New York Times to distinguish between how-to books and literature} and established Jane as a fitness guru. 5 books + 23 videos later, her brand is still putting out new programs today. And, recently digitized her whole workout collection for 21st-century fans.
Simon & Schuster
Bertrand Delanoë + Jane Fonda
In 2010, Jane ~ who once lived in France ~ was awarded the Great Vermeil Medal of the City by Paris's mayor Bertrand. Fun fact: Jane speaks French fluently and has even starred in French films. Jane was also recently recognized by the American Film Institute ~ earning its Lifetime Achievement award in 2014.
Olivier Pacteau | CC BY 2.0