1905-05-16 Grand Island, Nebraska, USA
Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor who had a career that spanned five decades in Hollywood. Fonda cultivated a strong, appealing screen image in several films now considered to be classics, earning one Academy Award for Best Actor on two nominations. Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor and made his Hollywood film debut in 1935. His film career began to gain momentum with roles such as Bette Davis's fiancee in her Academy Award-winning performance in Jezebel (1938), brother Frank in Jesse James (1939), and the future President in Young Mr. Lincoln (1939), directed by John Ford. His early career peaked with his Academy Award-nominated performance as Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath, about an Oklahoma family who moved to California during the Dust Bowl 1930s. This film is widely considered to be among the greatest American films. In 1941 he starred opposite Barbara Stanwyck in the screwball comedy classic The Lady Eve. Book-ending his service in WWII were his starring roles in two highly regarded westerns: The Ox-Bow Incident (1943) and My Darling Clementine (1946), the latter directed by John Ford, and he also starred in Ford's western Fort Apache (1948). After a seven-year break from films, during which Fonda focused on stage productions, he returned with the WWII war-boat ensemble Mister Roberts (1955). In 1957 he starred as Juror No.8, the hold-out juror, in 12 Angry Men. Fonda, who was also co-producer, won the BAFTA for Best Foreign Actor. Later in his career, Fonda moved into darker roles, such as the villain in the epic Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), underrated and a box office disappointment at its time of release, but now regarded as one of the best westerns of all time. He also played in lighter-hearted fare such as Yours, Mine and Ours with Lucille Ball, but also often played important military figures, such as a Colonel in Battle of the Bulge (1965), and Admiral Nimitz in Midway (1976). He finally won the Academy Award for Best Actor at the 54th Academy Awards for his final film role in On Golden Pond (1981), which also starred Katharine Hepburn and his daughter Jane Fonda, but was too ill to attend the ceremony. He died from heart disease a few months later.
 |
Henry Fonda for President | Self (archive footage) | 2025-01-10 |
 |
Les Fonda : une dynastie de cinéma | Self - Actor (archive footage) | 2023-08-13 |
 |
'Fail-Safe' and the Cold War | Self (archive footage) | 2020-01-28 |
 |
Citizen Jane, l'Amérique selon Fonda | 2020-08-30 | |
 |
Jay Sebring… Cutting to the Truth | Self(archive footage) | 2020-03-06 |
 |
John Ford : l'homme qui inventa l'Amérique | Self - Actor (archive footage) | 2019-02-03 |
 |
Spanish Western | Self (archive footage) | 2015-05-04 |
 |
Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia | Self (archive footage) | 2013-08-04 |
 |
John Ford & Monument Valley | Self (archive footage) | 2013-03-05 |
 |
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt: Making '12 Angry Men' | Self (archive footage) | 2008-03-04 |
 |
Sacco and Vanzetti | Prof. Tommy Turner (archive footage) | 2006-04-06 |
 |
Jezebel: Legend of the South | Self (archive footage) | 2006-05-30 |
 |
Guilt Trip: Hitchcock and 'The Wrong Man' | Self (archive footage) | 2004-09-07 |
 |
The Wages of Sin | Self (archive footage) | 2003-11-18 |
 |
An Opera of Violence | Self - Actor (archive footage) | 2003-11-18 |
 |
Something to Do with Death | Self (archive footage) | 2003-11-18 |
 |
The Making of Midway | Self | 2001-10-03 |
 |
Revisiting 'Fail-Safe' | Self (archive footage) | 2000-10-31 |
 |
Hidden Hollywood II: More Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Vaults | (archive footage) | 1999-07-20 |
 |
Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the Line | Self (archive footage) | 1997-05-12 |
 |
Henry Fonda: Hollywood's Quiet Hero | Self (archive footage) | 1997-03-18 |
 |
La Classe américaine | Hugues (archive footage) | 1993-12-31 |
 |
Fonda on Fonda | Self (archive footage) | 1992-01-13 |
 |
Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker | 1991-10-28 | |
 |
Barbara Stanwyck: Fire and Desire | Self (archive footage) | 1991-07-15 |
 |
Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home To | (archive footage) | 1990-06-04 |
 |
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind | Self (archive footage) | 1988-10-01 |
 |
Going Hollywood: The '30s | (archive footage) | 1984-01-01 |
 |
Let Poland Be Poland | Self | 1982-01-31 |
 |
The Greatest Man in the World | Self - Series Host (uncredited) | 1981-06-09 |
 |
Summer Solstice | Joshua | 1981-12-30 |
 |
On Golden Pond | Norman Thayer Jr. | 1981-12-04 |
 |
The Sensational Shocking Wonderful Wacky 70's | Self (archive footage) | 1980-01-04 |
 |
The Oldest Living Graduate | Col. J.C. Kincaid | 1980-04-07 |
 |
The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg | Self - Series Host (uncredited) | 1980-03-17 |
 |
Barn Burning | Self - Series Host (uncredited) | 1980-03-17 |
 |
The Jilting of Granny Weatherall | Self - Series Host (uncredited) | 1980-03-03 |
 |
Rappaccini's Daughter | Self - Series Host (uncredited) | 1980-01-01 |
 |
Paul's Case | Self - Series Host (uncredited) | 1980-02-11 |
 |
The Sky Is Gray | Self - Series Host (uncredited) | 1980-01-01 |
 |
The Golden Honeymoon | Self - Series Host (uncredited) | 1980-02-04 |
 |
Gideon's Trumpet | Clarence Earl Gideon | 1980-04-30 |
 |
The Man Who Loved Bears | Self | 1979-06-17 |
 |
Wanda Nevada | Old Prospector | 1979-06-01 |
 |
City on Fire | Fire Chief Risley | 1979-07-11 |
 |
Meteor | The President | 1979-10-19 |
 |
Inside 'the Swarm' | Self | 1978-01-01 |
 |
A Special Sesame Street Christmas | Self | 1978-12-08 |
 |
Il grande attacco | Generale Foster | 1978-02-07 |
 |
Home to Stay | Grandpa George | 1978-05-02 |
 |
The Great Smokey Roadblock | Elegant John | 1978-06-21 |
 |
Fedora | President of the Academy | 1978-06-29 |
 |
The Swarm | Dr. Walter Krim | 1978-06-26 |
 |
Soldier's Home | Self - Series Host (uncredited) | 1977-04-26 |
 |
The Displaced Person | Self - Series Host (uncredited) | 1977-04-12 |
 |
The Blue Hotel | Self - Series Host (uncredited) | 1977-04-19 |
 |
Underground Doctors | Self - Host | 1977-01-01 |
 |
Rollercoaster | Simon Davenport | 1977-06-10 |
 |
Tentacoli | Mr. Whitehead | 1977-02-25 |
 |
I'm a Fool | Self - Series Host (uncredited) | 1977-04-05 |
 |
Collision Course: Truman vs. MacArthur | Gen. Douglas MacArthur | 1976-01-04 |
 |
Midway | Adm. Chester W. Nimitz | 1976-06-18 |
 |
Bernice Bobs Her Hair | Self - Series Host (uncredited) | 1976-10-06 |
 |
Parkinson: Meet Henry Fonda | Self | 1975-11-01 |
 |
Henry James' The Jolly Corner | Narrator | 1975-01-01 |
|
Parker Adderson, Philosopher | Narrator (Voice) | 1974-01-08 |
 |
Mussolini - Ultimo atto | Kardinal Schuster | 1974-03-27 |
 |
Clarence Darrow | Clarence Darrow | 1974-09-04 |
 |
The Music School | Narrator (voice) | 1974-01-01 |
 |
Letter to Jane: An Investigation About a Still | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1974-04-11 |
 |
Ash Wednesday | Mark Sawyer | 1973-11-01 |
 |
The Red Pony | Carl Tiflin | 1973-03-18 |
 |
Il mio nome è Nessuno | Jack Beauregard | 1973-12-13 |
 |
The Alpha Caper | Mark Forbes | 1973-10-06 |
 |
Le Serpent | Alan Davies | 1973-04-07 |
 |
The American West of John Ford | Self - Narrator | 1971-12-05 |
 |
Sometimes a Great Notion | Henry Stamper | 1971-12-17 |
 |
Directed by John Ford | 1971-09-06 | |
 |
There Was a Crooked Man... | Woodward W. Lopeman | 1970-09-18 |
 |
The Cheyenne Social Club | Harley Sullivan | 1970-06-12 |
 |
Too Late the Hero | Capt. John G Nolan | 1970-05-20 |
 |
An Impression of John Steinbeck: Writer | John Steinbeck (voice) | 1969-01-01 |
 |
Yours, Mine and Ours | Frank Beardsley | 1968-04-24 |
 |
Pat Paulsen for President | Narrator (voice) | 1968-10-20 |
 |
A Space to Grow | Narrator | 1968-01-01 |
 |
C'era una volta il West | Frank | 1968-12-21 |
 |
Madigan | Commissioner Anthony X. Russell | 1968-03-29 |
 |
Firecreek | Bob Larkin | 1968-01-24 |
 |
The Boston Strangler | John S. Bottomly | 1968-10-08 |
 |
Stranger on the Run | Ben Chamberlain | 1967-10-31 |
 |
Welcome to Hard Times | Mayor Will Blue | 1967-04-30 |
|
Born to Buck | Narrator | 1966-09-01 |
 |
The Really Big Family | Self - Narrator | 1966-01-01 |
|
To Save a Soldier | Narrator (voice) | 1966-10-23 |
 |
A Big Hand for the Little Lady | Meredith | 1966-06-08 |
 |
In Harm's Way | CINCPAC II | 1965-04-06 |
 |
The Rounders | Marion 'Howdy' Lewis | 1965-01-08 |
 |
The Dirty Game | Dimitri Koulov | 1965-06-23 |
 |
Battle of the Bulge | Lt Col Kiley | 1965-12-16 |
 |
Fail Safe | The President | 1964-10-07 |
 |
Sex and the Single Girl | Frank Broderick | 1964-12-25 |
 |
The Best Man | William Russell | 1964-04-05 |
 |
Spencer's Mountain | Clay Spencer | 1963-05-16 |
 |
Hollywood: The Great Stars | Self - Host | 1963-02-20 |
 |
The Longest Day | Brig. Gen. Theodore Roosevelt Jr. | 1962-09-25 |
 |
How the West Was Won | Jethro Stuart | 1962-11-02 |
 |
Advise & Consent | Robert Leffingwell | 1962-06-06 |
 |
President Kennedy's Birthday Salute | Self | 1962-05-19 |
 |
Hollywood: The Fabulous Era | Narrator / Host | 1962-11-28 |
 |
Hollywood: The Selznick Years | Self - Narrator | 1961-12-31 |
 |
The Fabulous Fifties | Narrator (segment "Fifties Dead Sequence") (voice) | 1960-01-22 |
 |
Warlock | Clay Blaisedell | 1959-05-15 |
 |
The Man Who Understood Women | Willie Bauche | 1959-10-02 |
 |
Stage Struck | Lewis Easton | 1958-04-22 |
 |
The Tin Star | Morgan Hickman | 1957-11-06 |
 |
12 Angry Men | Juror 8 | 1957-04-10 |
 |
War and Peace | Pierre Bezukhov | 1956-08-21 |
 |
The Wrong Man | Manny Balestrero | 1956-12-22 |
 |
Mister Roberts | Lieutenant Roberts | 1955-07-10 |
 |
The Petrified Forest | Alan Squier | 1955-05-30 |
|
The Real Miss America | Narrator (voice) | 1952-02-02 |
 |
Benjy | Narrator (voice) | 1951-01-01 |
 |
Pictura | Narrator (segment "Grant Wood") (voice) | 1951-06-01 |
 |
Jigsaw | Nightclub Waiter (uncredited) | 1949-03-11 |
 |
Fort Apache | Lt. Col. Owen Thursday | 1948-05-21 |
 |
On Our Merry Way | Lank Solsky | 1948-02-03 |
 |
The Fugitive | A Fugitive | 1947-11-11 |
 |
Daisy Kenyon | Peter Lapham | 1947-12-25 |
 |
The Long Night | Joe Adams | 1947-05-28 |
 |
My Darling Clementine | Wyatt Earp | 1946-10-17 |
 |
The Ox-Bow Incident | Gil Carter | 1943-03-11 |
 |
Immortal Sergeant | Corporal Colin Spence | 1943-04-29 |
 |
Rings on Her Fingers | John Wheeler | 1942-03-20 |
 |
Tales of Manhattan | George | 1942-08-05 |
 |
The Magnificent Dope | Thadeus Winship 'Tad' Page | 1942-07-01 |
 |
It's Everybody's War | Narrator | 1942-09-06 |
 |
The Big Street | Agustus 'Little Pinks' Pinkerton, II | 1942-08-13 |
 |
The Male Animal | Tommy Turner | 1942-03-12 |
 |
The Battle of Midway | Narrator (voice) | 1942-09-14 |
 |
Wild Geese Calling | John Murdock | 1941-08-15 |
 |
You Belong to Me | Peter Kirk | 1941-10-22 |
 |
The Lady Eve | Charles Pike | 1941-02-25 |
 |
The Grapes of Wrath | Tom Joad | 1940-03-15 |
 |
Chad Hanna | Chad Hanna | 1940-12-25 |
 |
Lillian Russell | Alexander Moore | 1940-05-24 |
 |
The Return of Frank James | Frank James | 1940-08-10 |
 |
Let Us Live | "Brick" Tennant | 1939-03-29 |
 |
Drums Along the Mohawk | Gilbert Martin | 1939-11-10 |
 |
The Story of Alexander Graham Bell | Thomas Watson | 1939-04-04 |
 |
Young Mr. Lincoln | Abraham Lincoln | 1939-06-09 |
 |
Jesse James | Frank James | 1939-01-14 |
 |
Spawn of the North | Jim Kimmerlee | 1938-08-26 |
 |
The Mad Miss Manton | Peter Ames | 1938-10-21 |
 |
Jezebel | Preston Dillard | 1938-03-26 |
 |
Blockade | Marco | 1938-06-17 |
 |
Breakdowns of 1938 | Self (archive footage) | 1938-12-31 |
 |
I Met My Love Again | Ives Towner | 1938-01-14 |
 |
You Only Live Once | Eddie Taylor | 1937-01-23 |
 |
Wings of the Morning | Kerry Gilfallen | 1937-02-19 |
 |
That Certain Woman | Jack V. Merrick, Jr. | 1937-08-30 |
 |
Slim | Slim Kincaid | 1937-06-24 |
 |
The Trail of the Lonesome Pine | Dave Tolliver | 1936-03-13 |
 |
Spendthrift | Townsend Middleton | 1936-07-22 |
 |
The Moon's Our Home | Anthony Amberton / John Smith | 1936-04-10 |
 |
The Farmer Takes a Wife | Dan Harrow | 1935-07-05 |
 |
I Dream Too Much | Johnny Street | 1935-11-29 |
 |
Way Down East | David Bartlett | 1935-10-25 |
