Bridget Jane Fonda (born January 27, 1964) is an American retired 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). 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.

Fonda studied drama at New York University.

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 was in the poorly received comedy The Road to Wellville, and 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 titular leading 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 actor Eric Stoltz in 1986 and they began dating in 1990. They ended their relationship in 1998.

In February 2003, Fonda 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 2003. In 2005, they had a son together. After her engagement to Elfman, Fonda withdrew from acting, and concentrated on her family life.

Filmography Film +Film work by Bridget Fonda Year Title Role Notes1969Easy RiderChild in CommuneUncredited1987AriaLoverSegment: "Liebestod"1988You Can't Hurry LovePeggy Kellogg1988ShagMelaina1988GandaharHead / HistorianVoice dub; English version1989ScandalMandy Rice-Davies1989StraplessAmy Hempel1990Frankenstein UnboundMary Wollstonecraft Godwin1990Grace Hamilton1991Iron MazeChris Sugita1991Drop Dead FredAnnabella Uncredited1991Out of the RainJo1991Doc HollywoodNancy Lee Nicholson1992Leather JacketsClaudi1992Single White FemaleAllison Jones1992SinglesJanet Livermore1992Army of DarknessLindaCameo appearance1993Bodies, Rest & MotionBeth1993Point of No ReturnMaggie Hayward / Claudia Anne Doran / NinaAlso known as The Assassin1993Little BuddhaLisa Conrad1994It Could Happen to YouYvonne Biasi1994Eleanor Lightbody1994CamillaFreda Lopez1995Rough MagicMyra Shumway1995BaltoJennaVoice role1996City HallMarybeth Cogan1996Grace of My HeartKelly Porter1997TouchLynn Marie Faulkner1997Mr. JealousyIrene1997Jackie BrownMelanie Ralston1998Break UpJimmy Dade1998Finding GracelandAshley1998Sarah Mitchell 1999Lake PlacidKelly Scott2000South of Heaven, West of HellAdalyne Dunfries2001Delivering MiloElizabeth2001MonkeyboneDr. Julie McElroy2001Kiss of the DragonJessica Kamen2001The Whole ShebangVal Bazinni2019QT8: The First EightMelanie RalstonDocumentary film; Archival footage from Jackie Brown

Television +Television work by Bridget Fonda Year Title Role Notes1989Jacob Have I LovedLouise BradshawTelevision film198921 Jump StreetMolly "Moho" ChapmanEpisode: "Blinded by the Thousand Points of Light"1997In the GloamingAnneTelevision film1998Bravo Profiles: The Entertainment BusinessHerselfEpisode: "Late Night Talk"1998The Larry Sanders ShowBridget FondaEpisode: "Pilots and Pens Lost"2001Night VisionsMaryEpisode: "The Occupant"2001No Ordinary BabyLinda SanclairTelevision film2002Stephanie Furst4 episodes2002Snow QueenSnow QueenTelevision film

Awards and nominations

Awards 1995: Sitges Film Festival Best actress for Rough Magic

Nominations 1990: Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female for Shag 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 1999: Blockbuster Entertainment Awards Favorite Actress - Suspense for A Simple Plan 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)

References

Further reading

External links