MY
FATHER’S APPRENTICE
TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Why it matters
STATIS AND INFO General Information
3 7
CHILD PSYCHOLOGY
19
THEIR FATHER’S DAUGHTER
31
A DAY IN THE LIFE
57
Information about various fathers and daughters
Famous fathers influence their daughter’s career
My father and me
INTRODUCTION
AS A TOOL TO BRIDGE THAT GAP AND BUILD A REWARDING AND JOYFUL FATHER DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIP, FATHERS NEED TO INTERACT AS GIRLS MOVE INTO ADOLESCENCE.
As the primary male role model in a girl’s life, fathers influence their daughters in profound ways, from how they see themselves to what they come to expect from men and the world at large. But men often don’t realize the importance of their interactions or may shy away from too close involvement because of their inexperience, or conditioning. Especially as girls move into adolescence, fathers
may find themselves feeling distant from their daughters or awkward with the changing dynamic. Communication becomes difficult and parenting issues more complicated. But this is also the time when daughters most need their fathers to be an even greater presence in their lives. Dads and Daughters is a tool to bridge that gap and build a rewarding and joyful father-daughter relationship. From father to father and with insights from
many other dads, Joe Kelly shows men how they can strengthen their relationships with their daughters and explores the tremendous rewards this relationship can bring. Starting with a self-assessment quiz titled “How Am I Doing as My Daughter’s Father?” dads can immediately see what kind of role they play in their daughter’s life. To educate fathers and offer solutions when problems arise, Dads and Daughters then offers thoughtful
“FATHERS HAVE HOW THEY SEE
coverage of the most pivotal issues today’s girls face, such as sex and dating, body image, alcohol and drugs, media culture and violence, money and responsibility, and the future. In doing so he both illuminates the culture our daughters live in and shows fathers how to guide their daughters toward rewarding, healthy lives. Girls with close, supportive relationships with their parents tend to develop later, while girls with cold or distant relationships with their parents
develop at an earlier age. The research is published in the most recent edition of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. The research was conducted by Bruce Ellis, a postdoctoral fellow at Vanderbilt (now at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand); Stephen McFadyenKetchum, adjunct assistant professor of psychology at Vanderbilt; Kenneth Dodge, professor of psychology and psychiatry at Vanderbilt; Gregory Pettit of Auburn
I N F L U E N C E O N T H E I R D A U G T E R S I N A P R F O U N D W A Y F R O M” E THEMSELVES TO WHAT THEY COME TO EXPECT FROM MEN
University; and John E. Bates of Indiana University. The study looked at 173 girls and their families from Nashville and Knoxville, Tenn. and Bloomington, Ind. from the time the girls were in pre-kindergarten until they were in the seventh grade. Girls who had close, positive relationships with their parents during the first five years of life tended to experience relatively late puberty, compared to girls who had more distant relationships with their parents.
More specifically, the researchers found that the quality of fathers’ involvement with daughters was the most important feature of the early family environment in relation to the timing of the daughters’ puberty. Perhaps most notable, the researchers say, is the important role fathers seem to play in their daughters’ development, given that the quality of mothering is generally more closely associated with how children turn out than is the quality of important fathering.
STATS & INFO
18
PERCENT OF WOMEN BORN IN THE LAST DECADE
FOLLOWED THEIR FATHERS FOOTSTEPS COMPARED TO 6 PERCENT OF WOMEN BORN IN THE PREVIOUS DECADE.
BUILDING A FATHER DAUGHTER RELATIONSHIP. COMMUNICATION BECOMES DIFFICULT AND PARENTING ISSUES MORE COMPLICATED. HOWEVER, THIS IS ALSO THE TIME WHEN DAUGHTERS MOST NEED THEIR FATHERS TO BE AN EVEN GREATER PRESENCE IN THEIR LIVES.
Girls who enter puberty later generally had fathers who were active participants in caregiving; had fathers who were supportive to the girls’ mothers; and had positive relationships with their mothers. But it’s the fathers’ involvement, rather than the mothers’, which seems to be paramount to the age of the girls’ development. The researchers believe that girls have evolved to experience early socialization, with their “antennae” tuned to the fathers’ role in the
family (both in terms of father-daughter and father-mother relationships) and that girls may unconsciously adjust their timing of puberty based on their fathers’ behavior. The researchers found that girls raised in father-absent homes or dysfunctional father-present homes experienced relatively early pubertal timing. They present several theories as to why this occurs. One explanation is that girls whose fathers are not present in the home may be
exposed to other adult males - stepfathers or their mothers’ boyfriends and that exposure to pheromones produced by unrelated adult males accelerates female development. The flip side of that theory is that girls who live with their biological fathers in a positive environment are exposed to his pheromones and are inhibited from puberty, perhaps as a natural incest avoidance mechanism. Fatherdaughter relationship is a crucial effect on age when puberty begins.
CHILD PSYCHOLOGY
SECURITY LEADERSHIP PROTECTION PRIDE NOBILITY CARE WORLD VIEW EXPERIENCE PAT I E N C E LOVE PERSPECTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF A DAD THAT HELP DAUGHTERS IN THEIR DEVELOPMENT
FATHERS CONTRIBUTE TO THE MODELING AND DEVELOPMENT SKILLS AND TRUST, WHICH AFFECT HOW THESE GIRLS INTERA
T OF GOOD COMMUNICATION ACT WITH THEIR BOYFRIENDS.
Researchers have noted for decades that children view their home environment and relationship with their parents as “models�, and that this is usually reflected in how these children interact in new environments in the future. For example, children who are exposed to highly aggressive parenting are in turn more likely to use hostility and aggression as means to attain their own goals (see our review of Hoevet et al. 2009 metaanalysis on parenting and delinquency). Children also model positive behaviors. For example, children who see parents reach
amicable resolutions to to conflicts are also more likely to learn better. Following this line of research, some investigators have examined whether child exposure to specific bonding or attachment styles are also likely to affect how these children act in their own close relationships later on in their life. To answer this battling question, a research group from Rider University examined the role of the quality of the father-daughter bond in the development of a positive romantic relationships during young adulthood. The authors studied 78 teens and young adults
“G I R L S L E A R N T O C R E AT E S E C U R E AT TA C H M E N T S W I T H T H E I R D A D S
(average age 19), who reported on the quality of their relationship with their fathers and their current boyfriends. Three specific relationship domains were examined, namely: communication, trust, and time spent with their boyfriends/ fathers. The results: 1. Girls with good communication with their fathers also had significantly better communication with their boyfriends when compared to girls with low communication with their fathers. 2. Girls with high levels of trust with their fathers also had significantly better communication and trust with their boyfriends. 3. Finally, time spent with
their fathers was not associated with communication, trust or time spent with their boyfriends. At first glance, the data seem to show that the quality of bond between daughters and fathers, specifically communication and trust (albeit not time), predicts better communication and trust with their boyfriends. One interpretation is that these girls learn to create secure attachments with their dads, which allow them to then have more positive relationships with their boyfriends. It is also possible that fathers contribute to the modeling/development of good communication
skills and trust, which affect how these girls interact with their boyfriends. However, it is also possible that this reflects an individual characteristic of the girls themselves and is not necessarily a reflection of the quality of the father-daughter bond. That is, it is possible that girls who have good communication with their fathers simply have a specific temperament or communication styles/ skills that facilitate the development of good father-daughter communication, and it is this individual characteristic that also leads to better communication with their boyfriends.
But more than likely a combination of individual characteristics and child-parent relationships is driving this effect, which would be in line with previous research on the effects of adolescent-parent relationships in later romantic relationships. For example, both personality traits and parenting experiences during adolescents predicted the quality of romantic relationships in young adulthood. Overall, the results are very interesting in showing how quality of fatherdaughter relationships may affect how daughters experience their relationships with their boyfriends.
�
THEIR FATHER’S DAUGHTER
SCENE MAKERS CREATIVE ARTISTS HARD HITTERS SCREEN ACTORS
The "Godfather" of mobster films may have cut his teeth on low-budget filmmaking, however his work as a big-deal director has produced some of the highest-grossing and esteemed movies in history. Sofia Coppola caught the family film bug and her first role was as the baby in the christening scene in The Godfather. Her father has called her his idol and mentor, no small complement to the still-young director of The Virgin Suicides, and Lost in Translation
With such a name, one could hardly fail to be noticed. The daughter of Pablo Picasso, however, is a personality and talent in her own right, as she didn’t want her father’s fame to help her. “From the time I was fourteen, I stopped drawing completely. I thought, ‘I don’t want to become a painter like my father.” Picasso’s urge to create soon surpassed her hesitation; she began to study jewelry design and fabrication while still in her teens.
There are many similarities between Muhammad Ali and his daughter Laila. He passed on to his daughter a love of the punishing, exhilarating world of boxing. Her father’s legendary status actually had nothing to do with Laila’s decision to pursueboxing. She knows that there are millions who know every single detail of every pro fight her father fought. She has always been proud of his achievements, but he was always just dad.
She recalled that at the age of five, she and her brother acted out in Western stories similar to those her father, Henry Fonda, played in the movies. When asked how her childlife influenced her life, she explained,” What influenced me the most was movies that my father, Henry, was in. My father was a remote person, but the roles he played communicated certain values to me. I had my father and his fillms to help me with important life lessons.
Francis Ford + Sofia
COPPOLA A LEGENDARY FILMAKER’S DAUGHTER CATCHES THE FAMILY FILM BUG
SOFIA COPPOLA 2007
The “Godfather” of mobster films may have cut his teeth on lowbudget filmmaking, however his work as a big-deal director has produced some of the highest-grossing and esteemed movies in history. Away from the camera, he has had success as a vintner, and among his acclaimed wines are several “Sofia” vintages, named for his daughter. Coppola caught the family film bug and her first role (no surprise) was as the baby in the christening scene in The Godfather. Her father has called her his idol and mentor, no small complement to the still-young director of The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation (which
she won the Oscar for Best Screenplay for) and Marie Antoinette. Francis Ford Coppola is an Italian-American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is most renowned for directing the Godfather films, The Conversation and Apocalypse Now. Coppola has often worked with family members on his films. He cast his two sons in The Godfather as extras during the street fight scene and Don Corleone’s funeral; his daughter, Sofia Coppola, appeared in all installments of the series. His sister, Talia Shire, played Connie Corleone in all three Godfather films. His father Carmine,
a composer and professional musician, co-wrote much of the music in The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, and Apocalypse Now. His nephew, Nicolas Cage, starred in Coppola’s film Peggy Sue Got Married and was featured in Rumble Fish and The Cotton Club. Coppola’s son, Roman Coppola, is a filmmaker and music video director whose filmography includes the feature film CQ and music videos for The Strokes, as well as co-writing the Wes Anderson film The Darjeeling Limited. Coppola’s daughter, Sofia Coppola, is an Academy Award-winning writer and nominated director. Her films include the
critically ac the music in The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, and Apocalypse Now. His nephew, Nicolas Cage, starred in Coppola’s film Peggy Sue Got Married and was featured in Rumble Fish and The Cotton Club. Coppola’s son, Roman Coppola, is a filmmaker and music video director whose filmography includes the feature film CQ and music videos for The Strokes, as well as co-writing the Wes Anderson film The Darjeeling Limited. Coppola’s daughter, Sofia Coppola, is an Academy Award-winning writer and nominated director. Her films include the critically acclaimed films The Virgin Suicides and
Lost in Translation. In 2004, she became the first American woman to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director, in which she directed Lost in Translation. Alongside Lina Wertmüller and Jane Campion, Coppola became the third female director to be nominated for an Academy Award for Directing. She is also the only American woman to be nominated (Wertmüller is Italian and Campion is a New Zealander). Her win for best original screenplay made her a third-generation Oscar winner. In 2004, Coppola was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Coppola’s most recent film is the biopic Marie Antoinette, adapted from the biography by British historian Lady Antonia Fraser. Kirsten Dunst plays the title character who marries King Louis XVI, played by Jason Schwartzman, Coppola’s cousin. It débuted at the Cannes Film Festival where, It received a standing ovation however Critics were divided. In the mid1990s, she and best friend Zoe Cassavetes helmed the short-lived series Hi Octane on Comedy Central. which spotlighted performers in underground music, with frequent guests like Donovan Leitch, Mike Watt, and friend Jenny Shimizu. The “Godfather”
of mobster films may have cut his teeth on low-budget filmmaking, however his work as a big-deal director has produced some of the highest-grossing and esteemed movies in movie history. Away from the camera, he has had success as a vintner, and among his acclaimed wines are several “Sofia” vintages, named for his daughter. Coppola caught the family film bug and her first role was as the baby in a scene in The Godfather. Her father has called her his idol and mentor, no small complement to the still- very young director of some great movies like, The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation and Marie Antoinette.
END
PalomA + Pablo
PICASSO AS THE DAUGHTER OF ONE OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY’S MOST INFLUENTIAL ARTISTS, PALOMA HESITATED TO ENTER THE WORLD OF DESIGN.
EVERY CHILD IS AN ARTIST. Pablo Picasso, the Spanish painter who was instrumental in the development of cubism, and Françoise Gilot, the French painter, named their daughter after the “paloma, “ or dove, that Picasso had created for the posters announcing an International Peace Conference in Paris, France. As the daughter of one of the twentieth century’s most influential artists, Paloma Picasso (born 1949) hesitated to enter the world of design. She did not want to be compared to her father, nor did she relish the unavoidable notoriety his name would provide. Once she began to
show the jewelry she created for Zolotas of Greece in 1971, however, critics were genuinely impressed. As a teenager developing her own tastes and styles, Paloma Picasso was reluctant to pursue artistic goals. “In the beginning, I tried not to think that I would have to do anything artistic.” she explains. “From the time I was fourteen, I stopped drawing completely. I thought, ‘I don’t want to become a painter like my father, ‘ but I didn’t know what else I wanted to become.” Picasso’s urge to create soon surpassed her hesitation; she began to study jewelry design and
fabrication while still in her teens. Pablo Picasso, the Spanish painter who was instrumental in the development of cubism, and Françoise Gilot, the French painter, named their daughter a fter the “paloma, “ or dove, that Picasso had created for the posters announcing an International Peace Conference in Paris, France. As a teenager developing her own tastes and styles, Paloma Picasso was reluctant to pursue artistic goals. “In the beginning, I tried not to think that I would have to do anything artistic, “ she related in Hispanic. “From the time I was fourteen, I stopped
drawing completely. I thought, ‘I don’t want to become a painter like my father, ‘ but I didn’t know what else I wanted to become.” Picasso’s urge to create soon surpassed her hesitation; she began to study jewelry design and fabrication while still in her teens. Paloma still designs jewelry for Tiffany’s, however, in 2000 she turned her designer wheel to neutrals. Known for her bold colors and patterns, in 2000 Paloma took her home accessories in a new direction. This shift was also reflected in Paloma’s personal appearance since she dispensed with the
THE PROBLEM IS HOW TO REMAIN AN ARTIST ONCE WE GROW UP fire truck-engine-red lipstick favored by her. Pablo Picasso, the Spanish painter who was instrumental in the development of cubism, and Françoise Gilot, the French painter, named their daughter after the “paloma, “ or dove, that Picasso had created for the posters announcing an International Peace Conference in Paris, France. As the daughter of one of the twentieth century’s most influential artists, Paloma Picasso (born 1949) hesitated to enter the world of design. She did not want to be compared to her father, nor did she relish the unavoidable notoriety his name would provide.
PALOMA PICASSO 1973
Once she began to show the jewelry she created for Zolotas of Greece in 1971, however, critics were genuinely impressed. As a teenager developing her own tastes and styles, Paloma Picasso was reluctant to pursue artistic goals. “In the beginning, I tried not to think that I would have to do anything artistic.” she explains. “From the time I was fourteen, I stopped drawing completely. I thought, ‘I don’t want to become a painter like my father, ‘ but I didn’t know what else I wanted to become.” Picasso’s urge to create soon surpassed her hesitation; she began to study jewelry design.
END
Muhammad + Laila
ALI
AS THE DAUGHTER OF ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL ATHLETES, LAILA DIDN’T HAVE ANY HESITATIONTO ENTER THE WORLD OF BOXING.
MUHAMMAD FLOATING, STINGING, PUNCHING, HE TRANSFORMED AND BECAME THE WORLD'S MOST ADORED ATHLETE Oliver Wendell Holmes once observed that every profession is great that is greatly pursued. Boxing in the early ‘60s, largely controlled by the Mob, was in a moribund state until Muhammad Ali — Cassius Clay, in those days — appeared on the scene. “Just when the sweet science appears to lie like a painted ship upon a painted ocean,” wrote A.J. Liebling, “a new Hero...comes along like a Moran tug to pull it out of the ocean.” Though Ali won the gold medal at the Rome Olympics in 1960, at the time the experts didn’t think much of his boxing
skills. His head, eyes wide, seemed to float above the action. Rather than slip a punch, the traditional defensive move, it was his habit to sway back, bending at the waist — a tactic that appalled the experts. Lunacy. Nor did they approve of his personal behavior: the selfpromotions (“I am the greatest!”), his affiliation with the Muslims and giving up his “slave name” for Muhammad Ali (“I don’t have to be what you want me to be; I’m free to be what I want”), the poetry (his ability to compose rhymes on the run could very well qualify him as the first
rapper) or the quips(“If Ali says a mosquito can pull a plow, don’t ask how. Hitch him up!”). At the press conferences, the reporters were sullen. Ali would turn on them. “Why ain’t you taking notice?” or “Why ain’t you laughing?” It was odd that they weren’t. He was an engaging combination of sass and sweetness and naivete. His girlfriend disclosed that the first time he was kissed, he fainted. Merriment always seemed to be bubbling just below the surface, even when the topics were somber. When reporters asked about his affiliation with
Islam, he joked that he was going to have four wives: one to shine his shoes, one to feed him grapes, one to rub oil on his muscles and one named Peaches. In his boyhood he was ever the prankster and the practical joker. His idea of fun was to frighten his parents — putting a sheet over his head and jumping out at them from a closet, or tying a string to a bedroom curtain and making it move after his parents had gone to bed. Muhammad Ali defeated every top heavyweight in his era, which has been called the golden age of heavyweight
boxing. Ali was named “Fighter of the Year” by Ring Magazine more times than any other fighter, and was involved in more Ring Magazine “Fight of the Year” bouts than any other fighter. He is an inductee into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and holds wins over seven other Hall of Fames. He is also one of only three boxers to be named “Sportsman of the Year” by Sports Illustrated. In 1978, three years before Ali’s permanent retirement, the Board of Aldermen in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky voted 6–5 to rename Walnut
Street to Muhammad Ali Boulevard. This was controversial at the time, as within a week 12 of the 70 street signs were stolen. Earlier that year, a committee of the Jefferson County Public Schools considered renaming Central High School in his honor, but the motion failed to pass. At any rate, in time, Muhammad Ali Boulevard, and Ali himself, came to be well accepted in his hometown. In 1993, the Associated Press reported that Ali was tied with Babe Ruth as the most recognized athletes, out of over 800 dead or alive athletes.
LAILA ALI 2003
LAILA DEBUTED IN 1999 AT AGE 21. TRUE TO THE INFAMOUS ALI L E G A C Y, S H E K N O C K E D O U T O P P O N E N T, A P R I L F O W L E R , S E C O N D S I N T O THE FIRST ROUND.
She delivers bruising and punishing blows to all comers with taunts and bravado, tie did the same, elevating it to an art form. She’s undefeated at 10-0 with eight knockouts. He wasn’t undefeated, but remains the champ in many hearts. She knows she has modellike features. He told the whole world just how pretty he was. There are numerous similarities between Muhammad Ali and his 23-year-old daughter Laila. She accepts them as her genetic legacy. He unwittingly passed on to his daughter by ex-wife Veronica a love of the punishing, exhilarating
world of boxing. She is the only one of his nine sons and daughters to embrace those genes that led to the ring. Her father’s legendary status actually had nothing to do with Laila’s decision to pursue a boxing career. She knows that there are millions who know every single detail of every pro fight her father fought. She never immersed herself in that sort of trivia. She has always been proud of his achievements, but he was never a boxer or legend to her, just dad. What propelled her into the ring was the bizarre sight on the television screen when she was about to watch
a Mike Tyson fight five years ago. What she saw was two women in the ring before Tyson’s main event began. “I remember thinking, `Oh, my God! Women are about to fight,’” she recalls. “I had the popcorn and was getting ready to watch I was looking around like, `What’s going on? Women fighting?’ I was so excited I couldn’t wait to see it. I was like, `I can do that.’” Laila is determined to embrace the strength of her dad while carving out her own niche in the world. And she’s committed to proving the world that women can have success in the ring.
END
FONDA Henry + Jane
IN A SUDDEN TURNING POINT, JANE FONDA FOLLOWED HER FATHER’S TALENT OF ACTING AND JOINED HIM IN CAPTURING THEIR RELATIONSHIP ON SCREEN.
Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American film and stage actor, best known for his roles as plain-speaking idealists. Fonda’s subtle, naturalistic acting style preceded by many years the popularization of method acting. Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor, and made his Hollywood debut in 1935. Fonda’s career gained momentum after his Academy Awardnominated performance as Tom Joad in 1940’s The Grapes of Wrath, an adaptation of John Steinbeck’s novel about an Oklahoma family who moved west
during the Dust Bowl. Throughout six decades in Hollywood, Fonda cultivated a strong, appealing screen image in such classics as The Ox-Bow Incident, Mister Roberts and 12 Angry Men. Later, Fonda moved toward both more challenging, darker epics as Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West (portraying a villain who kills, among others, a child) and lighter roles in family comedies like Yours, Mine and Ours with Lucille Ball. Fonda was the patriarch of a family of famous actors, including daughter Jane Fonda, son Peter Fonda, granddaughter Bridget Fonda, and grandson
“ MY FATH E R WAS A VERY REM O T E P E R S O N, BUT THE ROL E S HE PLAY E D COM M U N I C AT E D CER TA I N VAL U E S TO M E. ” Troy Garity; his family and close friends called him “Hank”. Before starting her acting career, Fonda was a fashion model, gracing the cover of Vogue twice. Fonda became interested in acting in 1954, while appearing with her father in a charity performance of The Country Girl, at the Omaha Community Playhouse. She attended The Emma Willard School in Troy, New York and Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, where she was an undistinguished student. She recalled that at the age of five, she and her brother, actor Peter Fonda, acted
out Western stories similar to those her father, Henry Fonda, played in the movies. After graduating from Vassar she went to Paris for two years to study art. Upon returning, she met Lee Strasberg and the meeting changed the course of her life, Fonda saying, “I went to the Actor’s Studio and Lee Strasberg told me I had talent. Real talent. It was the first time that anyone, except my father — who had to say so — told me I was good. At anything. It was a turning point in my life. I went to bed thinking about acting. I woke up thinking about acting.
It was like the roof had come off my life!” On Golden Pond in 1981, the film adaptation of Ernest Thompson’s play, marked one final professional and personal triumph for Fonda. Directed by Mark Rydell, the project provided unprecedented collaborations between Fonda and Katharine Hepburn, along with Fonda and his daughter, Jane. The elder Fonda played an emotionally brittle and distant father who becomes more accessible at the end of his life. Jane Fonda has said that elements of the story mimicked their real-life relationship, and helped them resolve
issues. She bought the film rights in the hope that her father would play the role, and later described it as “a gift to my father that was so unbelievably successful.” Premiered in December 1981, the film was well received by critics, and after a limited release on December 4, it developed enough of an audience to be widely released. With eleven Academy Award nominations, the film earned nearly $120 million at the box office, becoming an unexpected blockbuster. She said when accepting the award that her dad would probably quip, “Well, ain’t I lucky.”
END
A DAY
IN THE LIFE
Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American film and stage actor, best known for his roles as plain-speaking idealists. Fonda’s subtle, naturalistic acting style preceded by many years the popularization of method acting. Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor, and made his Hollywood debut in 1935. Fonda’s career gained momentum after his Academy Awardnominated performance as Tom Joad in 1940’s The Grapes of Wrath, an adaptation of John Steinbeck’s novel about an Oklahoma family who moved west
during the Dust Bowl. Throughout six decades in Hollywood, Fonda cultivated a strong, appealing screen image in such classics as The Ox-Bow Incident, Mister Roberts and 12 Angry Men. Later, Fonda moved toward both more challenging, darker epics as Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in the West (portraying a villain who kills, among others, a child) and lighter roles in family comedies like Yours, Mine and Ours with Lucille Ball. Fonda was the patriarch of a family of famous actors, including daughter Jane Fonda, son Peter Fonda, granddaughter Bridget Fonda, and grandson
“I’M T R U LY PRO U D T O B E M Y FATHER ’ S A P P R E N T I C E” Troy Garity; his family and close friends called him “Hank”. Before starting her acting career, Fonda was a fashion model, gracing the cover of Vogue twice. Fonda became interested in acting in 1954, while appearing with her father in a charity performance of The Country Girl, at the Omaha Community Playhouse. She attended The Emma Willard School in Troy, New York and Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, where she was an undistinguished student. She recalled that at the age of five, she and her brother, actor Peter Fonda, acted
out Western stories similar to those her father, Henry Fonda, played in the movies. After graduating from Vassar she went to Paris for two years to study art. Upon returning, she met Lee Strasberg and the meeting changed the course of her life, Fonda saying, “I went to the Actor’s Studio and Lee Strasberg told me I had talent. Real talent. It was the first time that anyone, except my father — who had to say so — told me I was good. At anything. It was a turning point in my life. I went to bed thinking about acting. I woke up thinking about acting.
It was like the roof had come off my life!” On Golden Pond in 1981, the film adaptation of Ernest Thompson’s play, marked one final professional and personal triumph for Fonda. Directed by Mark Rydell, the project provided unprecedented collaborations between Fonda and Katharine Hepburn, along with Fonda and his daughter, Jane. The elder Fonda played an emotionally brittle and distant father who becomes more accessible at the end of his life. Jane Fonda has said that elements of the story mimicked their real-life relationship, and helped
them resolve certain issues. She bought the film rights in the hope that her father would play the role, and later described it as “a gift to my father that was so unbelievably successful.” Premiered in December 1981, the film was well received by critics, and after a limited release on December 4 On Golden Pond developed enough of an audience to be widely released on January 22. With eleven Academy Award nominations, the film earned nearly $120 million at the box office, becoming an unexpected blockbuster. In addition to wins for Hepburn.
HISA & TOSHIAKI IDE 1993