The Oscars record that Jane Fonda still holds to this day
With a father considered acting royalty, it was unsurprising that Jane Fonda followed in his footsteps. Born the daughter of Henry Fonda, known for his performances in movies such as The Grapes of Wrath, Young Mr. Lincoln and 12 Angry Men, she expressed an interest in acting as a teenager. However, she quickly proved to be an incredibly gifted actor who was more than just a product of nepotism.
After meeting acting coach Lee Strasberg, she realised acting was her true calling. Fonda explained, “I went to the Actors Studio and Lee Strasberg told me I had talent. Real talent. It was the first time that anyone, except my father – who had to say so – told me I was good. At anything. It was a turning point in my life. I went to bed thinking about acting. I woke up thinking about acting. It was like the roof had come off my life!”
Fonda then made her film debut in 1960’s Tall Story, and within two years, she received the Golden Globe for ‘Most Promising Newcomer’, which she won for her performance in Walk on the Wild Side. By the mid-1960s, Fonda was an established star, appearing in movies like The Chase and Barefoot in the Park.
Several collaborations with her soon-to-be husband Roger Vadim followed, including the sexually-charged The Game Is Over and Barbarella. Yet, Fonda ensured her status as a serious actor with refined performances in dramas such as Alan J. Pakula’s Klute and Sydney Pollack’s They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? While the latter earned the actor her first Oscar nomination, her role as Bree Daniels in Klute won Fonda the Academy Award for ‘Best Actress’, shooting herself to further stardom.
Since her first Oscar win, Fonda has been nominated for five more, winning again for 1978’s Coming Home. However, in 1981, Fonda made Oscar history alongside her father. The pair became the first father and daughter duo to be nominated for an Academy Award in the same year. Moreover, they were both nominated for the same movie, On Golden Pond, playing father and daughter.
On Golden Pond, based on Ernest Thompson’s play of the same name, explores the surprising relationships which emerge after the elder Fonda’s Norman and his wife, Katherine Hepburn’s Ethel, agree to care for the son of their estranged daughter’s new boyfriend for a month.
The movie, directed by Mark Rydell, was the Fonda patriarch’s final appearance on screen; he passed away the following year from heart disease. The legendary star won ‘Best Actor’ for his role, although Jane lost ‘Best Supporting Actress’ to Maureen Stapleton for her performance in Reds.
To date, Henry and Jane remain the only father and daughter to be nominated in the same year, as well as being the only pair to be nominated for the same movie.
