Bridget Fonda

Bridget Jane Fonda (born January 27, 1964) is an American actress, known for her roles in films such as The Godfather Part III (1990), Single White Female (1992), Singles (1992), Point of No Return (1993), It Could Happen to You (1994), Balto (1995), City Hall (1996), Jackie Brown (1997), A Simple Plan (1998), Lake Placid (1999), and Kiss of the Dragon (2001). She was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Mandy Rice-Davies in Scandal (1989), and received Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for the television films In the Gloaming (1997) and No Ordinary Baby (2001), respectively. Fonda retired from acting in 2002.

Fonda is the daughter of Peter Fonda, niece of Jane Fonda, and granddaughter of Henry Fonda. She is married to composer Danny Elfman, with whom she has a son.

Early life

Fonda was born on January 27, 1964, in Los Angeles, California, to a family of actors, including her grandfather Henry Fonda, father Peter Fonda, and her aunt Jane Fonda. Her mother, Susan Jane Brewer, is an artist. Fonda is named after actress Margaret Sullavan's daughter Bridget Hayward. Her maternal grandmother, Mary Sweet, married businessman Noah Dietrich.

Fonda's parents divorced in 1974, and the next year, her father Peter married Portia Rebecca Crockett (former wife of author Thomas McGuane). Crockett raised Fonda, her brother Justin, and older stepbrother Thomas McGuane Jr. in the Coldwater Canyon section of Los Angeles, as well as in Paradise Valley, south of Livingston, Montana.

Career

Fonda became involved with the theater when she was cast in a school production of Harvey. She studied method acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute as part of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts acting program and graduated from NYU in 1986.

She made her movie debut at age five (filmed at age four) in Easy Rider (1969) as a child in the hippie commune that Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper visit on their trek across the United States. Her second (non-speaking) part was in the 1982 comedy Partners. In 1988, she got her first substantial film role in Scandal, and appeared in You Can't Hurry Love and Shag (both 1988).

Her breakthrough role was as a journalist in The Godfather Part III, released in late 1990. After gaining additional work experience in a few theater productions, she appeared in the comedy Doc Hollywood (1991), and was cast as the lead in Barbet Schroeder's Single White Female, followed by a role in Cameron Crowe's ensemble comedy Singles (both 1992).

Fonda starred in 1993's Point of No Return, an American remake of the 1990 French film Nikita. A review in The New Yorker cited her "provocative, taunting assertiveness". In 1994, she starred alongside Nicolas Cage in the romantic comedy It Could Happen to You. She followed up with roles in the animated film Balto (1995) and the political thriller City Hall (1996). In 1997, she was on the same flight as Quentin Tarantino when he offered her the part of Melanie in Jackie Brown. She starred in A Simple Plan (1998) and Lake Placid (1999), and was also reportedly offered the lead, eponymous role in the television series Ally McBeal, but turned it down to concentrate on her film career.

Fonda received Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for the television films In the Gloaming (1997) and No Ordinary Baby (2001).

In 2001, Fonda starred with Jet Li in the action thriller film Kiss of the Dragon. Her final film role was in the 2001 movie The Whole Shebang. Her final role overall was the title role in the TV movie Snow Queen in 2002, and she has not appeared on screen since.

Personal life

Fonda met Eric Stoltz in 1986 and they began dating in 1990. In 1998, the couple ended their relationship.

In February 2003, she suffered a serious injury from a car crash that fractured a vertebra. The following month, she became engaged to film composer and former Oingo Boingo frontman Danny Elfman, and they married in November. In 2005, they had a son together.

After her engagement to Elfman, Fonda withdrew from acting and concentrated on her family life.

Filmography

Film

Television

Award nominations

1990: Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for Scandal
1997: Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie for In the Gloaming
2002: Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress In A Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television for No Ordinary Baby (also known as After Amy)