Jane Fonda, 87, is unapologetically embracing her later years, but there is one thing that still gives her pause. During a heartfelt appearance on Michelle Obama’s podcast, 'The Look,' Fonda reflected on life, loss, and the lessons she’s learned in Hollywood and beyond.
“I’m not afraid of dying,” Fonda said. “The most important thing I did was when I was going to turn 60, and in my mind … this is the beginning of my final act, and I didn’t know how to live it.” That moment of reckoning led her to confront a fear that runs deeper than age itself. “I’m afraid of dying with a lot of regrets. I watched my dad die with a lot of regrets.”
Her father, the legendary Henry Fonda, passed in 1982 at 77, leaving an imprint that still resonates. “That was an important realization for me, because 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,” she said.
The actress recounted how she made peace with him in his final days. “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. 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. I had never seen my father break down and weep. And I, it was, it was powerful.”
That experience shaped how Fonda approaches her own life. “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.”
She emphasized that intentionality has been the guiding principle of her later years. “I think that old age is fantastic if it’s lived intentionally. Intentionality is the key. Really thinking about it.”
Fonda’s reflections come alongside a candid recounting of her youth, which was marked by hardship and loss. Her mother, Frances Ford Seymour, died when Fonda was just 12 years old, leaving her with an unhappy childhood.
“I didn’t think I’d live past 30,” she admitted. “I was sure I was going to die.” She recalled feeling vulnerable to addiction and despair, though she insists she never became addicted. “I’m not addictive, but I thought I was going to die from drugs and loneliness.”
That shadow from her early years makes her current vitality all the more remarkable. “The fact that I’m almost 88 is astonishing to me,” Fonda said, adding, “And what is even more astonishing is that I’m better now. I wouldn’t go back for anything. I feel more centered, more whole, more complete. I’m very happy. Single.”
On the podcast, she was joined by model and activist Bethann Hardison and 'Real Housewives of New York' alum Jenna Lyons for a discussion on aging and finding joy in every stage of life.
Fonda has also maintained a rigorous commitment to her body and health as a cornerstone of aging with purpose. Speaking to People earlier this year, she described her routine. “I essentially do everything I used to do, just slower. I used to be a runner, but now I love walking. I love being outdoors in the woods, especially up and down hills.”
“Unless you want to end up in a wheelchair and be totally dependent on others, you have to stay strong, getting in and out of cars, carrying your own luggage, lifting up your grandkids, or looking over your shoulder when you’re backing up a car. They all become challenging under any circumstance, but if you’re flexible and strong, it gets easier,” she told The Hollywood Reporter in April.
For decades, she has made reconciliation and compassion a priority, ensuring that her relationships and her own conscience are intact as she ages. “I’ve never been afraid of aging, and more importantly, I’m not afraid of dying,” Fonda said. “But the one thing I’m afraid of is dying with a lot of regrets.”