Jane Fonda

Born in New York City in 1937 to legendary screen star Henry Fonda and New York socialite Frances Seymour Brokaw, Jane Seymour Fonda was destined early to an uncommon and influential life in the limelight. Although she initially showed little inclination to follow her father's trade, she was prompted by Joshua Logan to appear with her father in the 1954 Omaha Community Theatre production of "The Country Girl". Her interest in acting grew after meeting Lee Strasberg in 1958 and joining the Actors Studio. Her screen debut in Tall Story (1960) (directed by Logan) marked the beginning of a highly successful and respected acting career highlighted by two Academy Awards (for her performances in Klute (1971) and Coming Home (1978)) and five additional Oscar nominations (as Best Actress in They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969), Julia (1977), The China Syndrome (1979), The Morning After (1986), and Best Supporting Actress in On Golden Pond (1981), which was the only film she made with her father). Fonda underwent a series of metamorphoses in both her profession and personal life. After finding her niche in romantic comedies such as Period of Adjustment (1962), Sunday in New York (1963), and Any Wednesday (1966), she starred in the notorious sci-fi sex farce Barbarella (1968), directed by her then-husband Roger Vadim. The events that followed became her most debated, scandalous, and controversial period: her espousal of anti-establishment causes and especially her anti-war activities during the Vietnam War. Her political involvement continued with fellow activist and second husband Tom Hayden in the 1970s and '80s. In the 1980s she started the aerobic exercise craze with the publication of the "Jane Fonda's Workout Book". After divorcing Hayden and announcing her retirement from the film industry, she married broadcasting mogul Ted Turner in 1991; they split eight years later. In 2005, Fonda penned the best-selling autobiography "My Life So Far" and relaunched her film career with a starring role in the box office hit Monster-in-Law (2005). (IMDb)