Jane Fonda received a standing ovation as she accepted the Life Achievement Award at the SAG Awards on Sunday. The award was presented to Fonda, 87, by Julia Louis-Dreyfus at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. “This means the world to me,” Fonda said.
"We never win, this is so weird!"
Well Selena, you and the @OnlyMurdersHulu crew are all winners tonight! #SAGAwards pic.twitter.com/r0ra5UT6Gi
— SAG Awards® (@SAGawards) February 24, 2025
“Thank you, SAG-AFTRA.
All that was missing here was a live performance of "Dracula's Lament" 🧛 #SAGAwards pic.twitter.com/Ka4C53g7gt
— SAG Awards® (@SAGawards) February 24, 2025
Your enthusiasm makes this seem less like a late twilight of my life, and more like a ‘go girl, kick ass.’ Which is good because I’m not done.”
Fonda talked about her unusual career path. She retired for 15 years and then returned to acting at age 65.
SAG-AFTRA NED & Chief Negotiator @DuncanCI welcomes the audience to the #SagAwards shouting out the brave individuals on the front lines of the LA fires, including our broadcast journalist #SagAftraMembers pic.twitter.com/nGc0sXQ0SJ
— SAG-AFTRA (@sagaftra) February 24, 2025
She made one of her most successful movies in her 80s. “And probably in my 90s I’ll be doing my own stunts in an action movie,” she joked. Fonda, who calls herself a “late bloomer,” expressed her love for acting.
Another round of applause for @shogunfx and @zoesaldana for their #SAGAwards wins! 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/q29adpAzZE
— SAG-AFTRA (@sagaftra) February 24, 2025
“We get to open people’s minds to new ideas and help them laugh when things are tough — like now. And for a woman like me who grew up in the 40s and 50s when women weren’t supposed to have opinions and get angry, acting gave me a chance to play angry women with opinions.”
She also stressed the importance of unions, including SAG-AFTRA, and the role of actors in fostering empathy. “What we create is empathy.
Our job is to understand another human being so profoundly that we can touch their souls.
Jane Fonda celebrates acting journey
We feel their joy.”
After a brief interruption by an announcer, Fonda quipped, “And I can conjure up voices!” She then continued speaking about the importance of community and projecting an inspiring message for the future.
“We must not isolate. We must stay in community. We must find ways to project an inspiring message of the future.
There will still be love. There will still be beauty. And there will be an ocean of truth for us to swim in.”
Fonda made her film debut in the 1960 comedy “Tall Story.” She has starred in notable films such as “Fun with Dick and Jane,” “9 to 5,” “Julia,” and “The Morning After.” After a 15-year break, she returned to acting with “Monster-in-Law” in 2005.
Her accolades include Best Actress Oscars for “Klute” in 1972 and “Coming Home” in 1979, and an Emmy for the ABC drama “The Dollmaker” in 1984. Fonda has been a vocal advocate for social causes since the 1960s, championing antiwar movements, gender equality, civil rights, and climate change. “I have just always felt that I wasn’t good enough.
That has made the difference — that I was never satisfied, that I always wanted to get better. I know why I made the mistakes I did, and I know what was in my heart. And so I really worked at it, and I’m proud of myself that I didn’t settle,” Fonda shared, reflecting on her life.
The SAG Life Achievement Award is the highest honor that SAG-AFTRA bestows upon its members, recognizing those who foster the finest ideals of the acting profession.