American actor of stage and screen whose six-decade career ranged from John Ford Westerns to On Golden Pond, his final and Oscar-winning role.
Background
Born Henry Jaynes Fonda in Grand Island, Nebraska, he studied at the University of Minnesota before joining the Omaha Community Playhouse with Dorothy Brando.
Career
He played Tom Joad in John Ford’s “The Grapes of Wrath,” Wyatt Earp in “My Darling Clementine,” and Juror 8 in Sidney Lumet’s “12 Angry Men.” Sergio Leone cast him against type as outlaw Frank in “Once Upon a Time in the West.” He won Best Actor for his final film, “On Golden Pond,” opposite daughter Jane Fonda.
Style
Fonda’s quietly principled delivery became identified with American conscience roles, including everyman heroes drawn from history and literature.