Jane Fonda on Why at 85 She's the Happiest She's Ever Been: 'Life Gets Better with Age' (Exclusive)
The actress tells PEOPLE why female friendships and living a life of authenticity are what brings her the most joy these days
Jane Fonda says getting older is not something to fear but something to celebrate. At 85, the legendary star is busier than ever and calls this chapter of her life "the happiest I've ever been."
The Oscar-winning star has four films out this year, including the comedy Book Club: The Next Chapter, in theaters May 12. Fonda says filming the sequel to her 2019 rom-com hit Book Club with friends Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen and Mary Steenburgen in Italy was "a dream come true."
"It's everything I imagined women's friendships can be," Fonda says of their bond. "When I was younger, there was this assumption that women were kind of catty and four stars working together wouldn't work because they'd be competing, and it's just not true. We're friends and we love working together and we help each other when we need to."
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The Grace and Frankie star, who underwent chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma last year and is now in remission, has had many ups and downs in life but has always found a way to move forward.
"There's been tragedy and hard things in my life. But I've never succumbed to them. I've been resilient all my life," she says.
Book Club: The Next Chapter director Bill Holderman describes Fonda as "a force," pointing to one morning in Italy when most of the cast and crew were still asleep on their day off except for Fonda, who was up at 6:00 a.m. exploring the city on her own.
"She came back and said, 'I just got 11,000 steps!' She's a sponge for information. By the end of filming, Jane probably knew more about the gelato shops in Rome than the Romans," says Holderman.
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The lifelong activist, who recently mobilized thousands of people to take action on climate through her Fire Drill Fridays, is also working hard on the Jane Fonda Climate PAC, which backs candidates championing the climate.
"I love this planet and want to do everything I can to protect it," she says. "I get really depressed because I read the science and I know what's happening and it's urgent and it could become catastrophic. It's just inconceivable to me to not do everything that I can."
When not working, Fonda loves spending time with her three grandkids, going on hikes and watching Curb Your Enthusiasm. "That's my go-to, and it just eases me out," she says.
She adds that one of the many perks of getting older is learning what really matters in life.
"A bad thing happens, and you think, 'Well, that's happened before, and I'm fine. I'll get over it.' You know what's important. I spent a lot of time like a canoe with no paddle being carried in the current. As I got older, I learned I'm going to put an oar in the water and steer."
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