Beloved American actress and activist, Jane Fonda, began championing for women’s rights in the ’60s, more than 50 years ago.
Looking back at her 65-year career, Jane has won two Oscars, for her role in Klute (1921) and Coming Home (1978), and seven Golden Globes.
Not only do her passions lie in the arts and on screen, the 87-year-old is an advocate for political change, sharing with Vogue in February 2025, “For me, art and activism have always been interconnected. And if people are enjoying a movie, the message will enter their subconscious by osmosis.”
WHO IS JANE FONDA?
Jane was born in 1937 to actor Henry Fonda. Beginning her career as model, she later studied acting with her career beginning in the Broadway play, There Was a Little Girl (1960).
She received Academy Awards for best actress in Klute and Coming Home.
Jane has continued to play iconic roles, starring alongside Jennifer Lopez, in the 2005 film Monster-In-Law, and of late has appeared in Netflix comedy Grace and Frankie.
In 2021, she was given the Cecil. DeMille Award aka a Golden Globe for lifetime achievement.
Not only is she known for her impact in the film industry, but she is also an activist for political causes.
In 1972 she protested the Iraq War, along with violence against women, later co-founding the Hollywood Women’s Political Committee in 1984 and the Women’s Media Centre in 2005.
JANE FONDA ACTIVISM
At 87, Jane continues to advocate for change as a committed activist for women’s rights, climate change and other political matters.
At the height of the Vietnam War and civil rights protests in America, Jane became engulfed in educating herself. At the time, she was pregnant and was committed to making change, “I was pregnant, which makes a woman like a sponge, very open to what’s going on around her. It was around that time that I began to realise that I wanted to change my life and participate in trying to end the war.”
She became involved with the Black Panther Party, which was the era’s most influential militant black power organisation.
In 1970, Jane protested with a group of Indigenous people in an act led by Bernie Whitbear to reclaim Fort Lawton, land which had been taken.
From 1969 to 1971, Jane visited young Native American protestors who were contained in Alcatraz, at this time Jane became a staunch anti-war activist.
In 1972, she toured North Vietnam to protest against America’s military policy.
Through her own experience during this time, she made the film Coming Home, which won her an Academy Award.
Starring alongside Dolly Parton and Lily Tomlin in the 1980 movie, 9 to 5, the concerns behind women’s rights were highlighted and escalated.
In 2019, she was arrested five times for her Fridays for Future climate change protests. These demonstrations were held every Friday on the steps of the Capitol Hill building to fight for environmental reform. These continued amidst the COVID-19 pandemic virtually with discussions via Instagram live.
Throughout her life, she has advocated for change to allow marginalised people a voice, as well as educating the public and governments on climate change, sexism and racism.
JANE FONDA FAMILY
Roger Vadim was Jane’s first husband, meeting in 1963.
In 1968, the pair welcomed a daughter, Vanessa, and later divorced in 1973.
Vanessa, aged 56, is now a filmmaker and activist like her mother, participating in the Fire Drill Fridays alongside Jane.
She has also welcomed two children, Malcolm and Viva.
In the same year as her divorce with Roger, Jane married Tom Hayden, a social activist and politician. They bonded over their joint devotion for activism, “The passion of our common involvement no doubt caused our involvement in passion for each other,” Tom shared in his 1988 memoir.
In 1973, they welcomed a son, Troy, 51, who is now an actor too, and adopted a daughter, Mary Williams.
They were married for 17 years before divorcing.
In 2001, a year after her second divorce, Jane married Ted Turner, an American entrepreneur and producer.
Jane told the New Yorker after their divorce in 2001, “He was sexy. He was brilliant later. He had two million acres by the time I left. It would have been easy to stay,” Jane said in 2019. “But there was this angel on my shoulder…[saying], ‘If you stay, you will die without ever becoming who you can be. You will not really be authentic.'”
