Peter Fonda

Born Peter Seymour Fonda on February 23, 1939 in New York City. Son of actor Henry Fonda and Frances Seymour Brokaw, who committed suicide when Peter was 11. His only sister, Jane, is also an actress. A brilliant student, Fonda left New York for Nebraska at age seventeen, where he entered the University of Omaha as a sophomore without even finishing high school. After appearing in the Omaha Playhouse's production of Harvey, he moved back to New York, debuting on Broadway at the age of 21 in a production of Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole. In 1963, he made his first Hollywood film, Tammy and the Doctor starring Sandra Dee. Fonda turned on his golden boy persona as he began to take on roles that were increasingly anti-establishment, earning him notoriety as both a delinquent and rebel. Such films included Roger Corman's The Wild Angels in 1966 where he played a motorcycle gang leader and 1967's The Trip. Casting Fonda as a cult hero, the success of Easy Rider proved hard to live up to. In 1969, Fonda left Los Angeles to live in Montana. His screen career continued its downward spiral during the 1980s, and was eventually eclipsed by that of his daughter, Bridget. But in the mid-1990s, he staged a comeback, starting with a cameo appearance in Bodies, Rest & Motion. In 1994, he had a starring role in Michael Almereyda's Nadja and created a self-parody in John Carpenter's Escape From L.A. in 1996. Fonda's true comeback came in 1997 with Ulee's Gold, Victor Nunez's 1997 exploration of loss and family ties. He won raves for his portrayal of the title character, as well as a Best Actor Oscar nomination. Fonda was married to Susan Brewer from 1961-1972. They have two children, Bridget and Justin. He married Portia Rebecca Crockett (aka Becky McGuane) in 1975.