With two Academy Awards, a career spanning six decades, and an exceptional reputation for activism, Jane Fonda remains one of the most beloved stars in Hollywood.
As she celebrates her 87th birthday, Jane has a lot of achievements to reflect on throughout her life. No doubt, she’ll be spending the day with her family, as she’s mom to three grown up kids, Vanessa, 56, Troy, 51, and Mary, 56, who she de facto adopted.
To reflect on Jane’s incredible career as she turns 87, HELLO! looks back over her greatest looks over the span of her life, from her childhood in the spotlight to her golden era of acting, and her life now.
Happy Birthday Jane!
© Bettmann ArchiveJane with her father Henry
It’s no secret that Jane came from a famous family, as the daughter of esteemed actor Henry Fonda and socialite Frances Ford Seymour. They notably had a strained relationship, with Jane attributing a number of insecurities as coming from her father’s parenting, but they managed to find closure before he died.
“Before he died I was able to tell him that I loved him and that I forgave him for, you know, whatever didn’t happen,” Jane told People. “And I hope that he would forgive me for not being a better daughter. I got to say that to him.”
“He didn’t say anything. But he wept,” she added. “I had never seen that before. I’d never seen my father break down and weep. And I— it was, it was powerful.”
© Mondadori via Getty ImagesJane’s rising stardom
Jane’s early career saw her pinholed early on as a sex symbol as she played the title role in Sci-Fi spoof Barbarella. But towards the end of the 60s, she would win critical acclaim in the tragedy They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?, which would mark a pivot in her film career.
© Gamma-Rapho via Getty ImagesRocketing success in the 70s
The actress was nominated for four Oscars throughout the 1970s, winning two. She won Best Actress in 1972 for Klute, and again in 1979 for Coming Home — a major achievement for the star, who would finish the decade crowned as one of the most bankable actresses in Hollywood.
© Getty ImagesHer early activism
While winning Oscars throughout the 70s and achieving incredible success on screen, Jane became an outspoken activist. Primarily in that era, she spoke out against the Vietnam War, although she was also a key supporter of the Civil Rights Movement, lauding Huey Newton’s Black Panthers. To this day, Jane remains an outspoken activist who is unafraid to be arrested or criticized for her beliefs.
© WireImageA beautiful friendship with Lily Tomlin
In the 1980s, Jane would star in 9 to 5 with Dolly Parton and Lily Tomlin, a film that has since gained a cult following. She’s gone on to star alongside Lily in a number of films and shows, from 80 for Brady to the critically acclaimed Grace and Frankie.
© WireImageHer return to screens
Jane retired from the silver screen in 1991, only returning in the noughties. She stunned in the box office success Monster-in-Law, starring opposite Jennifer Lopez as the put-together yet overbearing Viola Fields, mother-in-law to JLo.
© Getty ImagesGrace and Frankie
The Oscar winner would again achieve acclaim in Netflix series Grace and Frankie, alongside actress Lily Tomlin.
Lily would say of Jane: “I have been inspired and awed by your courage and wisdom. You make your dreams come true by being a doer, not just a dreamer,” she said. “You have hope for the future, and you have big plans for it. Thank you for including me.”
© Patrick McMullan via Getty ImageStill thriving in her 80s
Jane may be 87, but she remains sharp as ever and she’s still working. Earlier this year she played a cameo in JLo’s This Is me… Now, and in 2023 she featured in 80 For Brady and Book Club: The Next Chapter. She described herself as “the happiest I’ve ever been” in this current chapter of life.
