Inside Bridget Fonda’s reclusive yet colorful life as she turns 62

Bridget was born into a Hollywood dynasty that began with her grandfather, Henry Fonda, who was one of the industry’s most respected and celebrated stars. During his decades-long career, he starred in 12 Angry Men, On Golden Pond, The Grapes of Wrath, My Darling Clementine, and Once Upon a Time in the West.

He won an Oscar for On Golden Pond in 1982, just a year after receiving an honorary Oscar for his contribution to the film industry. Bridget’s aunt, Jane Fonda, is also a Hollywood legend, having won an Oscar for Klute in 1972 and another in 1979 for Coming Home. Jane is a fitness icon thanks to her workout tapes, which were released in the ’80s and ’90s, and she has also been an outspoken activist her entire life.

Bridget’s father and Jane’s brother, Peter Fonda, is an actor in his own right with credits in Easy Rider (which he also co-wrote and nabbed an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay), as well as Ulee’s Gold.

Bridget shared in 2000 that she was close with her family, and that there was no bad blood or competitiveness amongst them. “The nice thing is that I respect them. I never felt that I had to deny their existence or be embarrassed by association,” she told The Guardian.

“At one time, there was nothing the press would have liked better than to set up a me vs Jane thing,” she continued. “They were desperate for us to be bitter rivals…although we’re close, I don’t see her that often.”