Jane Fonda , born December 21, 1937, is an American actress and political activist. The daughter of actor Henry Fonda, she gained fame in comedic roles and later became known as a serious actress, winning Academy Awards for Klute (1971) and Coming Home (1978). From the 1970s, Fonda became active in left-wing political causes, including opposing the Vietnam War, which led to her being branded "Hanoi Jane." She apologized to American veterans in 1988, saying some of her behavior was "thoughtless and careless." Fonda has also been active in the women’s rights movement and has sought to raise awareness about climate change. Fonda's filmography includes Cat Ballou (1965), Barefoot in the Park (1967), Nine to Five (1980), and On Golden Pond (1981). More recently, she starred in the Netflix comedy Grace and Frankie (2015–22).

What are some famous movies Jane Fonda has acted in?

Jane Fonda, born December 21, 1937, is an accomplished actress and activist. She gained initial recognition for her comedic roles and later became known as a serious actress, winning Academy Awards for Klute (1971) and Coming Home (1978). Some of her notable films include Cat Ballou (1965) and Barefoot in the Park (1967), They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (1969), The China Syndrome (1979), and On Golden Pond (1981), in which she starred alongside her father, Henry Fonda, and Katharine Hepburn. More recently, she has starred in Monster-in-Law (2005), Grace and Frankie (2015–2022), and Book Club (2018).

What awards has Jane Fonda won in her acting career?

Jane Fonda has received many awards for her acting career, including two Academy Awards for best actress in Klute (1971) and Coming Home (1978). She also won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or a Special in 1984. Fonda has received several Golden Globe Awards , including Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for Coming Home (1978) and Klute (1972). In 2021, she was given the Cecil B. DeMille Award (a Golden Globe for lifetime achievement).

How has Jane Fonda contributed to causes outside of acting?

Jane Fonda is an actress and political activist who has contributed to causes outside of acting. She was an outspoken opponent of the Vietnam War and journeyed to Hanoi in 1972 to denounce U.S. bombing campaigns. In the 1980s, she created an exercise program to fund the Campaign for Economic Democracy, an organization founded by her then-husband, Tom Hayden. Fonda has also been active in the women’s rights movement and co-founded the Women’s Media Center in 2005. Additionally, she has sought to raise awareness about climate change.

What is Jane Fonda known for in the world of fitness?

Jane Fonda is known in the fitness world as an influential fitness role model. She created a series of exercise videos for women to do toning, shaping, and stretching at home. Her step routines coincided with an aerobics craze that was pioneered in the late 1960s by Kenneth Cooper. In the 1980s, Fonda devised a popular exercise program to fund Campaign for Economic Democracy, an organization founded by her husband at the time, Tom Hayden.

How has Jane Fonda influenced American culture and society?

Jane Fonda has had a significant influence on American culture and society through her work as an actress and activist. Fonda gained initial fame in comedies but transitioned to more substantial roles in socially conscious films such as Klute and Coming Home , for which she won Academy Awards. From the 1970s, Fonda became known for her left-wing political activism, particularly her opposition to the Vietnam War. This activism led to controversy, but she later apologized to American veterans. In the 1980s, she launched a successful exercise program that helped popularize aerobics and fitness, and she used the proceeds to support progressive causes. Fonda has also been active in the women’s rights movement and has raised awareness about climate change.

Jane Fonda

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Images

Jane Fonda smiling, wearing a black velvet outfit with a beaded choker necklace and hoop earrings, with short, layered blonde hair.

Lobby card for The China Syndrome (1979) showing Jack Lemmon speaking into a microphone held by Jane Fonda, with Michael Douglas standing between them and a film camera behind.

Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda pose together in front of a blue Grace and Frankie and Netflix backdrop at a special screening event in Los Angeles.

Jane Fonda poses on the red carpet in a long, shimmering red gown, surrounded by photographers at the Cannes Film Festival.

At a Glance

Jane Fonda summary

Quick Facts

In full:: Jane Seymour Fonda

Born:: December 21, 1937, New York, New York, U.S. (age 88)

Awards And Honors:: Cecil B. DeMille Award (2021); Academy Award (1979); Academy Award (1972); Academy Award (1979): Actress in a Leading Role; Academy Award (1972): Actress in a Leading Role; Cecil B. DeMille Award (2021); Emmy Award (1984): Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or a Special; Golden Globe Award (1980): World Film Favorites; Golden Globe Award (1979): World Film Favorites; Golden Globe Award (1979): Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama; Golden Globe Award (1978): Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama; Golden Globe Award (1973): World Film Favorites; Golden Globe Award (1972): Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama; Golden Globe Award (1962): New Star of the Year - Actress

Notable Family Members:: spouse Tom Hayden; spouse Ted Turner; father Henry Fonda; brother Peter Fonda

Married To:: Roger Vadim (1965–1973); Tom Hayden (1973–1990); Ted Turner (1991–2001)

Jane Fonda

American actress and activist

Also known as: Lady Jane Seymour Fonda

Written and fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Last updated

Oct. 19, 2026 •History

Top Questions

Who is Jane Fonda?
Jane Fonda, born December 21, 1937, is an American actress and political activist. The daughter of actor Henry Fonda, she gained fame in comedic roles and later became known as a serious actress, winning Academy Awards for Klute (1971) and Coming Home (1978).

From the 1970s, Fonda became active in left-wing political causes, including opposing the Vietnam War, which led to her being branded "Hanoi Jane." She apologized to American veterans in 1988, saying some of her behavior was "thoughtless and careless." Fonda has also been active in the women’s rights movement and has sought to raise awareness about climate change.

Fonda's filmography includes Cat Ballou (1965), Barefoot in the Park (1967), Nine to Five (1980), and On Golden Pond (1981). More recently, she starred in the Netflix comedy Grace and Frankie (2015–22).
2 Britannica Sources
1. Jane Fonda
2. Jane Fonda: Facts & Related Content
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What are some famous movies Jane Fonda has acted in?
Jane Fonda, born December 21, 1937, is an accomplished actress and activist. She gained initial recognition for her comedic roles and later became known as a serious actress, winning Academy Awards for Klute (1971) and Coming Home (1978).

Some of her notable films include Cat Ballou (1965) and Barefoot in the Park (1967), They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (1969), The China Syndrome (1979), and On Golden Pond (1981), in which she starred alongside her father, Henry Fonda, and Katharine Hepburn. More recently, she has starred in Monster-in-Law (2005), Grace and Frankie (2015–2022), and Book Club (2018).
2 Britannica Sources
1. Jane Fonda
2. Jane Fonda: Facts & Related Content
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What awards has Jane Fonda won in her acting career?
Jane Fonda has received many awards for her acting career, including two Academy Awards for best actress in Klute (1971) and Coming Home (1978). She also won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or a Special in 1984. Fonda has received several Golden Globe Awards, including Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for Coming Home (1978) and Klute (1972). In 2021, she was given the Cecil B. DeMille Award (a Golden Globe for lifetime achievement).
2 Britannica Sources
1. Jane Fonda
2. Jane Fonda: Facts & Related Content
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How has Jane Fonda contributed to causes outside of acting?
Jane Fonda is an actress and political activist who has contributed to causes outside of acting. She was an outspoken opponent of the Vietnam War and journeyed to Hanoi in 1972 to denounce U.S. bombing campaigns. In the 1980s, she created an exercise program to fund the Campaign for Economic Democracy, an organization founded by her then-husband, Tom Hayden. Fonda has also been active in the women’s rights movement and co-founded the Women’s Media Center in 2005. Additionally, she has sought to raise awareness about climate change.
1 Britannica Source
1. Jane Fonda
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What is Jane Fonda known for in the world of fitness?
Jane Fonda is known in the fitness world as an influential fitness role model. She created a series of exercise videos for women to do toning, shaping, and stretching at home. Her step routines coincided with an aerobics craze that was pioneered in the late 1960s by Kenneth Cooper. In the 1980s, Fonda devised a popular exercise program to fund Campaign for Economic Democracy, an organization founded by her husband at the time, Tom Hayden.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Jane Fonda
2. physical culture: Aerobics and health clubs
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How has Jane Fonda influenced American culture and society?
Jane Fonda has had a significant influence on American culture and society through her work as an actress and activist. Fonda gained initial fame in comedies but transitioned to more substantial roles in socially conscious films such as Klute and Coming Home, for which she won Academy Awards.

From the 1970s, Fonda became known for her left-wing political activism, particularly her opposition to the Vietnam War. This activism led to controversy, but she later apologized to American veterans. In the 1980s, she launched a successful exercise program that helped popularize aerobics and fitness, and she used the proceeds to support progressive causes. Fonda has also been active in the women’s rights movement and has raised awareness about climate change.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Jane Fonda (born December 21, 1937, New York, New York, U.S.) is an actress and political activist who first gained fame in comedic roles but later established herself as a serious actress, winning Academy Awards for her work in Klute (1971) and Coming Home (1978).

Jane Fonda is the daughter of actor Henry Fonda; her younger brother, Peter Fonda, also became a noted actor. She left Vassar College after two years and lived in New York City, where she worked as a model and in 1958 studied acting under Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio. Her acting career began with appearances in the Broadway play There Was a Little Girl (1960) and the motion picture Tall Story (1960), and she went on to appear in numerous comic films in the 1960s, including Cat Ballou (1965) and Barefoot in the Park (1967).

Fonda’s subsequent, more-substantial roles were in such socially conscious films as They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (1969), Klute (1971), Coming Home (1978), and The China Syndrome (1979). She received Academy Awards for best actress for her performances as a call girl in Klute and as the wife of a Vietnam War soldier in Coming Home. Fonda then joined Dolly Parton and Lily Tomlin in Nine to Five (1980), a comedy in which three women join forces to get even with their cruel misogynistic boss. In 1981 she costarred with her father and Katharine Hepburn in the film On Golden Pond. Fonda’s other movies in the 1980s included Agnes of God (1985) and The Morning After (1986).

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Jane FondaJane Fonda at the Academy Awards ceremony, 1990.

Following her turn as a struggling widow in Stanley & Iris (1990), Fonda took a break from acting and did not reappear onscreen until 2005, when she starred opposite Jennifer Lopez in the romantic comedy Monster-in-Law. Her later films included Georgia Rule (2007), Peace, Love & Misunderstanding (2011), Lee Daniels’ The Butler (2013), and This Is Where I Leave You (2014). In 2009 Fonda returned to Broadway, after a 46-year absence, to portray a dying musicologist in 33 Variations. She also had a recurring role on the television drama The Newsroom (2012–14).

Fonda then starred opposite Lily Tomlin in the Netflix television comedy Grace and Frankie (2015–22), about two women whose husbands leave them for each other. In 2017 Fonda portrayed a widow who befriends her longtime neighbor (played by Robert Redford) in the Netflix movie Our Souls at Night. She later starred in Book Club (2018), a romantic comedy about longtime friends (Fonda, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen, and Diane Keaton) who add spice to their club—and their lives—by reading E.L. James’s erotic novel Fifty Shades of Grey; a sequel, Book Club: The Next Chapter, appeared in 2023. In the sports comedy 80 for Brady, Fonda costarred with Tomlin, Sally Field, and Rita Moreno as fans of the New England Patriots. In 2021 Fonda was given the Cecil B. DeMille Award (a Golden Globe for lifetime achievement).

From the 1970s Fonda was active on behalf of left-wing political causes. An outspoken opponent of the Vietnam War, she journeyed to Hanoi in 1972 to denounce the U.S. bombing campaigns there. During that trip she visited with the crew of a North Vietnamese air defense battery, and photographs of Fonda in the seat of an antiaircraft gun were widely circulated. Her actions led to Fonda’s being branded “Hanoi Jane” (recalling World War II’s Tokyo Rose). In 1988 she apologized to American veterans of the Vietnam War in a televised interview with Barbara Walters, saying that some of her behavior in Hanoi was “thoughtless and careless.” In the 1980s she devised a popular exercise program to fund Campaign for Economic Democracy, an organization founded by American politician Tom Hayden, who was her husband from 1973 to 1990. Fonda was also active in the women’s rights movement, and in 2005 she cofounded the Women’s Media Center. She also sought to raise awareness about climate change.

Fonda was married two other times, to the French film director Roger Vadim (1965–73) and to the American broadcasting entrepreneur Ted Turner (1991–2001). Her books included the autobiography My Life So Far (2005); Prime Time (2011), a volume of advice about aging; and What Can I Do?: My Path from Climate Despair to Action (2020). The documentary Jane Fonda in Five Acts (2018) chronicled her life and career.