As she accepted a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Screen Actors Guild, Grace and Frankie alum Jane Fonda said she didn’t think of it as a capper to her career. The moment feels “less like a late twilight of my life and more like a ‘Go girl, kick ass,’” she said from the podium at the February 23 event, describing herself as a “late bloomer.”
Jane, 87, the daughter of acting legend Henry Fonda, made her big-screen debut in 1960. Many memorable roles and two Oscars later, she admits her career has followed a “totally unstrategic” trajectory. She even retired from acting in 1991 following her marriage to media mogul Ted Turner, but proved that senior citizens can have popular second acts. “I made one of my most successful movies in my 80s,” she said, referring to the 2018 comedy Book Club. “And probably in my 90s, I’ll be doing my own stunts and an action movie.”
Jane Fonda Doesn’t Let Her Age Define Her
Jane hasn’t let her years define her. “I don’t feel like an old person,” she told The New York Times. “I’m much younger than I was when I was in my 20s, in all the ways that matter.” For Jane, that means “keeping fit, standing up for what you believe politically, having good posture, staying curious.”
To that end, the former aerobics queen employs a physical trainer. “She only works with people over 50,” Jane explained. “I work out upper body, lower body, every other day.” She makes only one concession to age — she moves more carefully. “You can get hurt more than you can when you’re young,” Jane cautioned. “You move slowly. It’s a mantra for being older.”
Moving slower still means going forward to Jane, who recently enjoyed another first when she became a model for Golden Goose sneakers. “I don’t wear heels anymore because they throw my pelvis and my hips out of whack,” she said. “So low heels or almost flat shoes have become my thing — and sneakers that have sparklies on them.”
