Actor Peter Fonda passed away on Friday, August 16, in his home in Los Angeles after a battle with lung cancer. He was 79 years old.
Fonda was part of a family actors, being the son of legendary actor Henry Fonda, younger brother of actress Jane Fonda, and the father of actress Bridget Fonda. Peter himself began acting at the age of 20, having joined the Cecilwood Theatre in 1960, and picked up roles on Broadway, guest spots on television, as well as supporting roles in films, with one of his first major supporting roles being in the film Lilith, directed by Academy Award-nominated director Robert Rossen in what would be his final film.
Fonda’s performance in Lilith was well-received, and led to him gaining starring roles throughout the 1960’s. He became known for his unconventional image that wasn’t associated with a leading man in Hollywood, with his frequent use of LSD and outwardly rebellious look. The actor was heavily associated with the counterculture movement of the 1960’s, having been arrested as part of the 1966 Sunset Strip riots, also known as the “hippie riots,” in which the police heavily clashed with the rock-and-roll youth at the time.
Fonda would soon take on roles in films by cult director Roger Corman, such as the B-movies The Wild Angels and The Trip, which boosted his image as a Hollywood bad-boy. Fonda then gained international attention when he co-wrote and starred in the landmark film Easy Rider in 1969, which was directed by his co-star Dennis Hopper. The film focused on Fonda and Hopper as two bikers who travel through the United States where they encounter intolerance and violence everywhere they go. The film co-starred Jack Nicholson as a young civil rights lawyer who accompanies the duo. The film would be nominated for a Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards, while Nicholson was also nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
After the success of Easy Rider, Fonda went on to directing, though he only directed three feature films in his lifetime: The Hired Hand in 1971, Idaho Transfer in 1973, and Wanda Nevada in 1979. The Hired Hand faced mixed reception at the time although it was later reevaluated as one of the greatest Westerns of its time period. Meanwhile, Wanda Nevada featured Peter’s father Henry in a cameo role, marking the only time the father and son appeared on screen together.
Fonda’s career remained steady for the rest of his life, with a slew of lead and supporting roles of varying genres. He was noted for his work as an action star in the 1970’s, starring in the cult film Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry in 1974, as well as the Westworld sequel Futureworld in 1976. He also reunited with Corman in 1976 for Flying Mad. Many of his films through the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s all had varying degrees of success.
Fonda would again receive universal attention in 1997, when he starred in the film Ulee’s Gold, in which he played a bookkeeper who tries saving his son and granddaughter from falling into drug abuse. The film, and Fonda’s performance, received critical acclaim. Fonda would go on to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor the following year.
Fonda maintained steady work well into the 2000’s, with another notable role being in 2007, when he appeared as a bounty hunter in James Mangold’s remake of 3:10 to Yuma, appearing alongside Russell Crowe and Christian Bale. He also had small supporting roles in Ghost Rider and Wild Hogs that year, and went on to appear as the main villain in the cult film The Boondocks Saints II: All Saints Day. His final film appearance will be later this year in The Last Full Measure, an ensemble war drama about the Vietnam War that also stars Sebastian Stan, Christopher Plummer, William Hurt, Ed Harris, and Samuel L. Jackson.
Fonda had a career that spanned nearly six decades, and leaves behind a legacy that established him as one of the most important figures in the film industry.
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