The one-sided feud between Jane Fonda and Katharine Hepburn: “Jane Fonda has no soul”
Back in the 1960s, when Hollywood was making way for more experimental and bolder works of cinema, a new crop of actors emerged as the faces of a rapidly changing era. Jane Fonda, the daughter of acting legend Henry Fonda, secured her start in the early years of the decade, taking to the stage rather than the screen. It wouldn’t be long, however, until she made the switch to cinema, starring in several American comedies.
Fonda soon transitioned to French cinema for a short period, appearing in Joy House, Circle of Love, The Game Is Over and Spirits of the Dead. These roles helped to establish her as a sex symbol, something she further proved with her leading role in the sexy sci-fi Barbarella. The decade was a time for significant progression and sexual liberation, which Fonda’s roles reflected.
By the end of the ‘60s, she became heavily interested in feminism and other forms of activism, earning the nickname ‘Hanoi Jane’ when she sat on an anti-aircraft gun in Vietnam. She has always been outspoken in her beliefs, advocating for what she believes is right through protests, donations and even movie roles. For example, her performance in Klute gave complexity to the character of a call girl, the kind of role that is usually depicted with one-dimensionality.
Fonda picked up two Academy Awards by the time she was 41, making her one of the most successful female actors in the history of the Oscars. Confident, liberated and dedicated to her roles as an actor and an activist, many people admire Fonda. Yet, there was one actor who expressed a particular dislike for the star, going as far as to say, “Jane Fonda has no soul”.
Katharine Hepburn, the classic Hollywood star, worked with Fonda and her father on the film On Golden Pond in 1981. During this time, the younger Fonda reportedly clashed with Hepburn, claiming that the Bringing Up Baby actor was “jealous” and “competitive”.
Talking to Julia Louis-Dreyfus on the podcast Wiser Than Me, Fonda explained, “Well, she told me the first time I met her she said ‘I don’t like you.’ Anyway, there’s all kinds of reasons, but she was jealous. Talk about competitive and ambitious. Oh my god. I realised early on that I had to be subservient. And once I started being subservient, then she was nice to me.”
It appears that Fonda has never had a problem with Hepburn, but just her mere presence on set was enough to annoy the latter. According to Fonda, however, this jealousy might have been rooted in the number of Oscars they both had. At the time, Hepburn had three Academy Awards, and Fonda had two. Hepburn, who had been in the business much longer, wanted to have the most accolades, so she was not happy when Fonda was nominated for an Oscar because of On Golden Pond, as well as her.
“If I won, and she didn’t, we’d be tied. But if I didn’t win, and she did, then she’d have four. And I only have two, right? Neither she nor my dad went to the Oscars. They were both ill. And I called her to congratulate her and she said, ‘you’ll never catch me now,’” Fonda revealed. Clearly, Hepburn was more bothered than Fonda, who, despite being 40 years younger, was the much more mature party.
It’s a sincere reminder that although cinema may well be art, there is direct competition at the centre of the industry.
