Alex Carson
Early in her career, Jane Fonda had the chance to show off her acting chops in comedic roles. However, with the release of Barbarella, she made a dramatic shift in the types of roles she played on screen. It marked a radical shift away from the more lighthearted roles for which she had become known, but it was crucial in establishing her as a sex icon. Join FactsVerse as we find insights into why Jane Fonda was drunk during this iconic Barbarella scene.
In the classic movie, directed by Roger Vadim, astronaut Barbarella travels to the frozen planet Lythion, where she sets out to locate renowned scientist Durand Durand (Milo O’Shea).
During her exploration of the alien planet, she comes into contact with bizarre sights. Among the many bizarre sights include the Excessive Machine, a sex organ where a skilled keyboard player can pleasure-drive a victim to death. She also came across a lesbian queen and a group of women smoking a massive hookah that releases Essence of Man through a victim in a glass globe.
In the opening scene, Fonda’s character is seen moving about her home as she gradually takes her clothes off. Even though it may seem like a simple, artistic scene, a lot of work went into it, particularly on Fonda’s part.
According to the 84-year-old Oscar-winning actress, she drank a few shots before filming began because she was so anxious about taking off her clothes on camera. However, she hung over during the opening striptease because she had consumed alcohol to calm her nerves. After nailing the first take of the scene, there were technical issues, so she had to redo the entire nervous scene the following day.
Which meant that she was not only drinking vodka again but also still suffering from the effects of the previous day’s binge. Looking back, Fonda finds the whole scene just hilarious. Though Barbarella is now a cult classic, she points out that it seems rather childish, although she did a fantastic job at it.
According to Fonda, the set of Barbarella was full of spectacular set designs and props, but she didn’t care to keep any of them. She also admitted she had no knowledge of its value and regretted not keeping any of them. She believes she would have reaped some financial rewards had she kept some.
Even though it’s quite normal for actresses and actors to feel nervous before or while shooting explicit scenes, Fonda’s nervousness seemed to go beyond that. It has been revealed that she dealt with tremendous insecurity about her personality and had body-image issues from the time she was a teenager. This dilemma, which she believes her father is largely responsible for, later drove her into bulimia. It would be reasonable to assume that Fonda is comfortable in her own skin, given her fame, wealth, and undimmed beauty. But apparently, her father wasn’t the only one who contributed to her plight; she had husbands who undermined her self-esteem.
To understand where her issues stemmed from, we need to visit her childhood and how her parents impacted her life.
At the time of Jane’s birth in 1937, her father, Henry Fonda, was already on the cusp of Hollywood stardom, having just received a nomination for his portrayal of Tom Joad in the film The Grapes of Wrath. While his success in the film industry was undeniable, his fathering skills were subpar. He was unfaithful to his wife, Frances Ford Seymour Fonda, and a distant, cold father to his children.
It turned out that her father was a product of a particular time. Many men of that era lacked the emotional maturity to show their true feelings. The fact that there was sort of two sides to Henry Fonda was really surprising. There was the Henry who was cold, cheated on his wife, and was less of a fatherly figure to his children. And then there was the Henry who expressed his emotions beautifully on-screen and was thought of as a hero and a celebrity. Sadly, men like that don’t always turn out to be great dads. Fonda never doubted her father’s love for her, but the fact that he couldn’t tell her so was tragic.
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No one would expect that level of iciness from watching Henry Fonda in his movies, so when Fonda began talking openly about him, it was very shocking. While filming “On Golden Pond”, Jane finally accepted the situation for what it was. On Golden Pond was a film produced by Jane in which she starred as the daughter of a controlling and sour octogenarian living in Los Angeles. She chose her father, Henry, a controlling and sour octogenarian, to play the part. His performance in the film would be the only one that got him an Oscar.
One would think Fonda’s mother, Frances Fonda, provided the care and affection that her father never provided. But no, you would be wrong in thinking so. Throughout Fonda’s childhood, she had little to no warm or cosy relationship with her mother. When Jane was young, her mother was absent at all times. She never understood why, but her mother had a turbulent history with institutionalisation. Depression plagued Frances Fonda her entire life, and her marriage to Henry Fonda was fraught with tension.
When Fonda was 13 years old in 1950, she missed her only chance to have a good time with her mother. One day, her mother returned home from the facility where she was staying and wanted to see her children. Jane was so upset with her that she refused even to descend the stairs. While Peter went, she stayed behind, and later that day, Frances returned to the asylum where she had been held and committed suicide.
In spite of all the psychological uprisings she’d gone through, she still has a hard time accepting the fact that not only is she alive but also doing what she loves. In 2018, she admitted on Ellen DeGeneres’s show that she had feared she would die alone of alcoholism or something destructive. Not turning to alcohol for solace, being 80 and still fit seems like a miracle to her. She feels blessed for everything she has but never forgets to mention how hard she worked for it.
Thanks to films like Grace and Frankie, Fonda’s second half of her career has been just as influential as her first. Furthermore, her personal development since her golden days was the driving force behind her continued success.
Among the stars of Hollywood, Jane Fonda ranks in the top. That’s why it came as such a shock when the two-time Oscar winner abruptly left the acting business in the early ’90s. While her return to Hollywood was great news, she did provide some insights into why she disappeared from public eyes for about a decade and a half.
According to her, she reached the lowest point in her life at the age of 49. She sat at the edge of her bed in her hotel room one day and began to forecast what her future would look like. She wasn’t so impressed, and she knew she couldn’t keep living her life as she did. Acting was still her priority, but she could give her best if she were feeling down in the dumps. So she bought a property in New Mexico and relocated there with the intention of devoting her life to environmental activism. Luckily, her life took a good turn when she met Ted Turner. Contrary to what most people believe, Fonda didn’t quit acting because of Ted; she was actually on her way out when she met him. They both enjoyed a beautiful decade together before their divorce in 2001.
As far as anyone can tell, Fonda has adopted a much healthier way of life. Hollywood stars often find that once their careers take off, they can’t seem to escape the spotlight. But Fonda was self-aware enough to realise her profound distress and take action to improve her life.
She made her Hollywood comeback in 2005 with her performance in “Monster-In-Law”, after concentrating on her mental well-being and relationship with CNN founder Ted Turner. Fonda got offered a role in “Monster-In-Law” at the age of 62. According to her, it felt like a popcorn flick, but it was a career-changing experience. She also claimed that as far as her career was concerned, agreeing to star in the movie was the only strategic thing she ever did.
She said to herself, “hmm, people will come to see J.Lo, and they will either rediscover me, or, if they’re young, they’ll discover Fonda,” which is exactly what manifested. Again, Fonda was wise to follow her instincts; the film was a commercial success and helped revitalise her career.
Fonda’s performance was praised, and the film went on to become a commercial success, earning over $154 million worldwide against a $43 million budget.
Subsequently, she started appearing in more films, such as The Butler, and on television shows, such as HBO’s The Newsroom.
Fonda made her television debut in the Netflix original comedy Grace and Frankie, co-starring with Lily Tomlin.
Fonda’s career spans decades, and she has won two Oscars.
Beyond her film work, Fonda has always been a vocal supporter of various causes. She is known for her work in environmental protection, but she is also a feminist and co-founded the Women’s Media Center with Gloria Steinem.
It is impossible to overlook the reality that Fonda made a surprising comeback and that her departure from Hollywood was indeed one of the best things to have ever happened to her.
It is now time for us to hear from you. Let us know in the comments section what your favourite Jane Fonda movie is. And also, do you think she’s a better actress than she was in the 90s or vice versa? Remember to show your support by liking this video and subscribing to the channel. Enabling post notifications will ensure that you don’t miss any of our daily uploads. Catch you in the next one.
