"I did not think I would live to see it"- When Jane Fonda opened up about the #MeToo movement
Jane Fonda has been around in the industry for over six decades and has pretty much achieved everything any actress ever dreams of. Her achievements include, but are not limited to, two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, seven Golden Globe Awards, and a Primetime Emmy Award. At 87, she is a legend who has already written herself into the history books of Hollywood.
But throughout her vast career, which kickstarted with the romantic comedy Tall Story (1960), Jane Fonda has seen the industry and the world change in ways few would have imagined. She even lived through the era when representation (and treatment) of women in Hollywood was so far away from what it is today.
She spoke about aging and her time in Hollywood in an interview with The Guardian, where she was asked about the MeToo movement, the social phenomenon that shook the world. Fonda was asked if she regretted not having that kind of awareness around when she was a leading lady in Hollywood. But she took this negative stance and converting it into her own way of thinking, replied:
"I am very grateful to be alive through this...I did not think I would live to see it. Yes. And I think that it’s going to continue, it’s not just a moment. I love the Time’s Up aspect of it. We’re working with women from all different places. I’m going to DC to lobby with domestic workers. The farm workers up in Bakersfield. It’s all of us together, having each other’s backs."
In this same interview, Fonda, who had also allegedly been a victim of abuse and assault, spoke about women who continue to suffer even now.
"I feel very sad that so many girls are abused all over the world"- Jane Fonda on getting back in her skin
In her long and complicated marriage with Ted Turner, Jane Fonda revealed she suffered significantly. She also had suffered a great deal from the actions of other men, and she claimed that it took her 62 years to claim her own body completely.
Speaking about the ongoing problems women face, and how getting back to your own skin can be an intentional choice, Jane Fonda told The Guardian in the 2018 interview:
"I feel very sad that so many girls are abused all over the world and that men don’t understand what it does to them. It’s not something that happens lightly, it can alter a person. And then you have to be very intentional about getting back into your own skin, but it can be done."
She added:
"It wasn’t so much that I felt sad about all the wasted time, because I wasn’t fully authentic, but on the other hand, why not instead just be proud of yourself that you got there and you didn’t stop trying?"
Despite being way past the 80-mark, Jane Fonda continues to be active in the industry. In fact, her most recent film was just last year. She appeared in This Is Me... Now: A Love Story, which was released in 2024. She also memorably worked in 80 For Brady in 2023, which also starred veteran actors Lily Tomlin, Rita Moreno, and Sally Field.
