Jane Fonda Mesmerizes Dallas Audience
Tue, 07/09/2019 - 12:35pm
By:
Johnnie Pegues
Last night Jane Fonda sat on stage at the Winspear Opera House with Robert Wilonsky of the Dallas Morning News, and answered questions, discoursed on current events, and bared her feelings about her father, Henry Fonda.
She was witty, erudite, and unapologetic for the life she has led. Ms. Fonda specifically hammered home the point that she was late in life in learning to trust herself, but when she got there, she realized she had been doing that most of her life already.
A shy child who never felt like she fit in, Ms. Fonda talked about how her father had problems showing emotion at home, but was charismatic on screen in his acting. She gave us great glimpses into her relationships with Tom Hayden, Roger Vadim, and Ted Turner (whom she idolizes as a brilliant and humorous person...in fact, she said she learned from him how to laugh!).
As she was discussing her acting career, I learned many things...she did not set out to be an actor, but was fired as a secretary, and could not figure out what her actual skills were. Turns out, Sidney Pollack thought she could act, and away she went.
Ms. Fonda won two acting Oscars, and all of her movies had a theme: to better understand a certain emotion or way of thinking. Interesting in light of her own transformation.
Her interpretations of Katherine Hepburn were spot on, and, in another life, she could have been a mimic, they were so good. She particularly was proud of the movie ‘On Golden Pond’, which was the last movie her father made, and the only one they made together.
She also touched on her Viet Nam protest activities, and told the audience perhaps she had made some mistakes, but learned from them and interacts with veterans to this day. Ms. Fonda was particularly blunt about the time when Richard Nixon asked “What is wrong with Jane Fonda?” The government had her followed, and tried to indict her for treason. It was a terrible time, but allowed her to focus her later energies on becoming involved in activities encouraging people to get out and vote in order to have a voice in change.
I particularly enjoyed her musing on the movie “9-5” and how it came about. She adores Lily Tomlin, who is one of her dearest friends.
If you missed Jane Fonda, it was a night with a legend who is honest about herself, about aging, and about the three acts of her life.
It was a terrific evening, and I came away with hope that our planet can be renewed.
Thank you, ATTPAC, for allowing Dallas to meet Jane Fonda