Jane Fonda at the premiere of This is Where I Leave You at the Toronto International Film Festival, Toronto, Canada, September 7, 2014. Photo by Jon Kopaloff.
 
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Jane Fonda
Forecourt Ceremony held on Saturday, April 27, 2013
 
Born: December 21, 1937, in New York City, New York
Age at the time of the ceremony: 75
 
Jane Fonda is a household name. Famous for her screen roles as well as her private life, she has made a huge impact on the world as an actor, fitness guru, sex-symbol and peace activist.

Jane Fonda is the daughter of actor Henry Fonda and his second wife Francis Ford Seymour, who traces her heritage back to Jane Seymour (1508-1537), for whom Jane is named. Brother Peter came along in 1940. The marriage was not a happy one; the couple separated when Jane was 12. Her mother Frances entered Craig House psychiatric hospital in New York for treatment from depression; she committed suicide there in 1950.

While father Henry was on the road with his acting and marrying a succession of wives, Jane was attracted to the theatre, teaching dance in Fire Island Pines out on Long Island. For college prep, it was the Greenwich Academy in Connecticut and the Emma Williard School in Troy New York. She acted with Henry in a fundraiser performance of The Country Girl at the Omaha Community Playhouse in June 1955.

Fonda attended Vassar College in Poughkeepsie New York, but dropped out to tour France for six months. Returning to the US in 1958, she met and became fascinated with Lee Strasberg, the Actors Studio and "The Method." Despite many insecurities, Fonda settled on the course of her life: acting.

Fonda had a few innings as a model, appearing on the cover of Vogue — twice (in July 1959 and January 1960) although the second appearance was in connection with her Broadway debut in director Joshua Logan's There Was a Little Girl with Gary Lockwood for 16 perfs from February to March 1960. Logan had already directed Fonda in her film debut: the comedy Tall Story (released in April 1960), with Anthony Perkins. Arthur Laurents directed her in his play Invitation to a March with Celeste Holm for 113 perfs from October 1960 to February 1961.

Fonda played one of the girls in a bordello (and got thrid billing) for director Edward Dmytryk in Walk on the Wild Side (released in February 1962) with Laurence Harvey. For director George Cukor, she got third billing in The Chapman Report (released in October 1962) with Efrem Zimbalist Jr. For director George Roy Hill, she co-starred in his adaptation of Tennessee Williams' play Period of Adjustment (released in October 1962) with Anthony Franciosa. The film was a modest hit. José Quintero directed her in the role of Madeline Arnold in a revival of Eugene O'Neill's Strange Interlude with Geraldine Page on Broadway from March to April 1963.

Fonda got top billing over Lee Marvin in the western comedy Cat Ballou (released in June 1964). Fonda had returned to France to participate in director Roger Vadim's ensemble film La ronde - Circle of Love (released in October 1964) with Jean-Claude Brialy. Fonda made headlines for appearing "nude" in the film. Fonda was beginning to polarize the public already. Fonda wed the director in August 1965.

For director Otto Preminger, Fonda starred as a land-owning southern belle in Hurry Sundown (which played the Chinese in February 1967) with Michael Caine. In a lighter mood, Gene Saks directed her in Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park (released in May 1967) with Robert Redford.

Re-teaming with husband Roger Vadim, she starred in the "Metzengerstein" seqment of Histoires extaordinaires - Spirits of the Dead (premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1968) and got her brother Peter a role in the film as well.

When producer Dino De Laurentiis wanted Fonda to star in Barbarella (released in October 1968) with John Phillip Law, she agreed only if Vadim directed. The result is an acquired taste, but was a worldwide success, making Fonda a sex-symbol.

Sex-symbolism was not her goal, however. She agreed to star for director Sydney Pollack in his hard-hitting film of the world of marathon dancing in They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (released in December 1969) with Michael Sarazin, and found herself the winner of an Oscar for Best Actress in director Alan J. Pakula's Klute (released in June 1971) with Donald Sutherland.

Divorcing Vadim and marrying politician Tom Hayden in 1973 gave Fonda more time to protest against the Vietman War, alienating herself in the minds of many Americans. She started a production company which made some marginal pictures, but that all changed when director Fred Zinnemann cast her to play writer Lillian Hellman in Julia (released in October 1977) with Vanessa Redgrave.

Fonda won another Oscar for Best Actress for her role in a film she was largely responsible for creating: Coming Home (released in February 1978 ) with Jon Voight. A major hit on the topical subject of a meltdown at a nuclear powerplant was The China Syndrome (released in March 1979) with Jack Lemmon.

The comedy 9 to 5 (released in December 1980) with Lily Tomlin, was a hit. She bought the screen rights and starred in On Golden Pond (released in December 1981) where she shared the screen with her father, Henry Fonda.

1982 saw the release of Jane Fonda's Original Workout, the first of many best-selling exercise videos she would create. For director Norman Jewison, she played a psychiatrist in Agnes of God (released in September 1985) with Anne Bancroft as a convent's abbess.

Fonda divorced Tom Hayden in 1990, and married Ted Turner. During their time together, Fonda did few film roles. They divorced in 2001. She came roaring back with Monster-in-Law (released in May 2005) with Jennifer Lopez. Fonda starred on Broadway in 33 Variations as a musicologist seeking out the mystery behind Ludwig van Beethoven's Diabelli Variations. The show ran in a limited angagement, 85 perfs from March to May 2009.

As part of the 2013 edition of the TCM Classic Film Festival, Jane Fonda was asked to make her imprints for the Chinese Theatre Forecourt. When it came time to embed her block, several blocks were moved around slightly so that Jane's block and Henry's block could be side-by-side.

Later that year, she courageously played Nancy Reagan in Lee Daniel's The Butler (released in August 2013) with Forest Whitaker; she played a family matriarch in This is Where I Leave You (released in September 2014) with Jason Bateman.

Fonda is the headliner an executive producer for 85 episodes (so far) of Grace and Frankie co-starring Lily Tomlin, streaming over Netflix, beginning in May 2015.

In Youth (released in December 2015) with Michael Caine, Fonda played a rather hard-headed actress; she has a small role in Fathers & Daughters (released in July 2015) with Russell Crowe. Book Club (released in May 2018) with Diane Keaton, was a hit. More working with Lily Tomlin has been happening: 80 for Brady with —  Tom Brady! (released in February 2023) and Moving On with Malcom McDowell (released in March 2023). Ms. Fonda provided the voice of the grandmother of the title character in Ruby Gilman, Teenage Kraken, which premiered at the Chinese on June 28, 2023.
 
 
TCL Chinese Theatre, Hollywood, California. Jane Fonda Forecourt block. Executed by unknown, Saturday, April 27, 2013. 36 x 24 inches.
TCL Chinese Theatre, Hollywood, California. Jane Fonda Forecourt ceremony, Saturday, April 27, 2013. Jane Fonda gives out a big smile while impressing the peace sign into the wet cement.
 
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