Hollywood legend Jane Fonda has made a startling confession about her youth, revealing she never expected to live beyond her thirties due to struggles with substance abuse and profound loneliness.
From despair to contentment
The Grace and Frankie star, who will celebrate her 88th birthday next month, expressed astonishment at reaching such an advanced age given her turbulent early years. "I didn't think I'd live past 30. I was sure I was going to die," Fonda revealed during an appearance on The Look, a special series from Michelle Obama's IMO podcast.
She elaborated on her youthful struggles, stating: "My youth was not especially happy... I'm not addictive, but I thought I was going to die from drugs and loneliness. So the fact that I'm almost 88 is astonishing to me."
Finding peace in later life
Despite her difficult past, Fonda emphasised she wouldn't return to her younger years for anything. The actress described her current state as "more centred, more whole, more complete" and declared herself "very happy, single" in her late eighties.
Remarkably, Fonda has "never" feared ageing or death after undertaking significant personal reflection before entering what she calls her "final act" at age 60. "More importantly, I'm not afraid of dying," she stated with conviction.
Living without regrets
The turning point came as she approached her sixth decade, when Fonda consciously decided to examine her life trajectory. "I'm afraid of dying with a lot of regrets. I watched my dad die with a lot of regrets," she shared, referring to her father, actor Henry Fonda.
This realisation became a guiding principle: "If you don't want to die with regrets, then you have to live the last part of your life in such a way that there won't be any regrets. I also want to be surrounded by people who love me... Forgiveness comes into play, including forgiving myself. That actually has guided me in the last 30 years. I've been living to not have regrets."
A difficult year of loss
Fonda's philosophical approach has been tested recently, as she described the past year as "tough" following the deaths of three close friends and colleagues. She mourned the passing of Gene Hackman in February, Robert Redford in September, and Diane Keaton in October.
Speaking to People at the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power's EmPower Party, she reflected: "You get to be old and everybody is dying around you."
Her emotional tribute to Redford, her co-star in 1967's Barefoot in the Park, was particularly poignant: "It hit me hard this morning when I read that Bob was gone. I can't stop crying. He meant a lot to me and was a beautiful person in every way. He stood for an America we have to keep fighting for."
Of Keaton, she wrote on Instagram: "She was always a spark of life and light, constantly giggling at her own foibles, being limitlessly creative... in her acting, her wardrobe, her books, her friends, her homes, her library, her world view. Unique is what she was."
Thriving in later years
Despite these losses, Fonda maintains that old age can be "fantastic" when approached with purpose. "I think that old age is fantastic if it's lived intentionally. Intentionality is the key," she advised.
The activist and actress, who received a Lifetime Achievement award at the SAG Awards in February, shows no signs of slowing down. "I have had a really weird career, totally unstrategic. I retired for 15 years then came back at 65 which is not usual," she noted.
Her ambitions remain high: "I made one of my most successful movies in my 80s and probably in my 90s I'll be doing my own stunts in an action movie."
Fonda concluded with characteristic optimism: "Have you ever heard the phrase, it's ok to be a late bloomer as long as you don't miss the flower show. I'm a late bloomer, this is the flower show."
