Jane Fonda on Her HBO Documentary, Her Career and Her Biggest Regrets

quotI started this conversation with American Masters about 10 years agoquot Lacy noted amp160quotBut I actually started the project about two and a half years agoamp160 The interviewing process was over a long period of time and many many interviews with Jane over 20 hours amp160But the big thing was connecting with Jane39s schedule over that period of time so I was in the editing room for a long time as there is so much materialquotIndeed there is amp160In addition to the frank conversations Lacy conducted with Fonda glorious home movies of the Fonda family were unearthed and included quotI had a lot of the footage my stepmother Shirley had a lot and my brother had a lotquot Fonda explained amp160quotStill some of the archival footage uncovered did surprise me and made me think amp8216Where did she get thatamp8217 amp160Starting with the audio of Richard Nixon I couldn39t believe she had the audio of itquotThe audio Fonda is referring to stems from her infamous 1972 visit to North Vietnam to protest the war amp160It was a visit that almost destroyed her career leaving her with the hateful nickname Hanoi Jane and it made her public enemy No 1 for the thenPresident all due to a photo of her sitting behind a Vietnamese antiaircraft gun surrounded by soldiers amp160Dubbed an act of treason amp8211 one she has spent her lifetime apologizing for that photo is something she still has a hard time reconciling amp160quotI want to throw up when I see itquot she somberly admitted amp160quotIt39s the most painful thing and it39s because of that I can39t watch the documentary anymoreamp160 It39s just too hard for me to watchquotThe mistake was I went to Vietnam alone and I should never have done thatquot she added amp160quotBut I wasn39t alone in that I had friends who39d been there a week before amp160I don39t think people understand how many people actually went to North Vietnam amp160We would compare notes so I knew who I was and I knew why I went But I had people who loved me and surrounded me with support that39s how I survived the hatred amp160It was pretty badquotWhile the lifechanging event is detailed at length the film also explores the events leading up to it providing some muchneeded context amp160The same is true of her extensive film career and the quotstrong menquot who helped inform her life especially her father Henry with whom she famously costarred with in 1981amp8217s On Golden PondThere is one particularly touching scene about which she admits she still carries regret amp160quotI wish I39d gone to dinner at his house that night after filming and I wish he had said amp8216I wasn39t expecting thatamp160 That scene between us really moved meamp160 You really moved meamp8217amp160 I wish that he were still here so that we can talk about itquot she saidquotI feel I39m comfortable enough to be able to talk to him about things illicit things that I once wasn39t able toamp8221 she continued amp160amp8220Just the fact I39m now five years older than he was when we made On Golden Pond that blows my mindamp8221In chatting with Fonda it was interesting to note while she was happy to be so open on camera she has mixed feelings about the filmamp8217s release amp160quotI feel a little selfconscious about itquot she shared amp160quotWe are facing this existential crisis in our country and our world is being taken apart and here is this woman talking about herself for two hoursquotBelieve me when the woman talking is Jane Fonda its two hours of worthy conversationJane Fonda in Five Acts premieres tonight on HBOamp160Click the social buttons above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writersamp160amp160amp160

SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE MEDIAVILLAGE CONTENT | BECOME A THOUGHT LEADERSHIP CONTRIBUTOR

Jane Fonda on Her HBO Documentary, Her Career and Her Biggest Regrets

Author

Publish date

Channel

Archived in

Steve Gidlow

Up & Comer Jeanette St. Amant: An Outside-the-Box Finance Role at Sinclair Offers New Opportunities (VIDEO) - By Krista Van Lewen

More Videos:

SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE MEDIAVILLAGE CONTENT | BECOME A THOUGHT LEADERSHIP CONTRIBUTOR

Jane Fonda on Her HBO Documentary, Her Career and Her Biggest Regrets

Enjoying This Commentary? There's More to Love

Steve Gidlow

Up & Comer Jeanette St. Amant: An Outside-the-Box Finance Role at Sinclair Offers New Opportunities (VIDEO) - By Krista Van Lewen

Cookies