Henry Fonda

Biography

Henry Jaynes Fonda (May 16, 1905 – August 12, 1982) was an American actor who had a career that spanned five decades in Hollywood. Fonda cultivated a strong, appealing screen image in several films now considered to be classics, earning one Academy Award for Best Actor on two nominations. Fonda made his mark early as a Broadway actor and made his Hollywood film debut in 1935. His film career began to gain momentum with roles such as Bette Davis's fiancee in her Academy Award-winning performance in Jezebel (1938), brother Frank in Jesse James (1939), and the future President in Young Mr. Lincoln (1939), directed by John Ford. His early career peaked with his Academy Award-nominated performance as Tom Joad in The Grapes of Wrath, about an Oklahoma family who moved to California during the Dust Bowl 1930s. This film is widely considered to be among the greatest American films. In 1941 he starred opposite Barbara Stanwyck in the screwball comedy classic The Lady Eve. Book-ending his service in WWII were his starring roles in two highly regarded westerns: The Ox-Bow Incident (1943) and My Darling Clementine (1946), the latter directed by John Ford, and he also starred in Ford's western Fort Apache (1948). After a seven-year break from films, during which Fonda focused on stage productions, he returned with the WWII war-boat ensemble Mister Roberts (1955). In 1957 he starred as Juror No.8, the hold-out juror, in 12 Angry Men. Fonda, who was also co-producer, won the BAFTA for Best Foreign Actor. Later in his career, Fonda moved into darker roles, such as the villain in the epic Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), underrated and a box office disappointment at its time of release, but now regarded as one of the best westerns of all time. He also played in lighter-hearted fare such as Yours, Mine and Ours with Lucille Ball, but also often played important military figures, such as a Colonel in Battle of the Bulge (1965), and Admiral Nimitz in Midway (1976). He finally won the Academy Award for Best Actor at the 54th Academy Awards for his final film role in On Golden Pond (1981), which also starred Katharine Hepburn and his daughter Jane Fonda, but was too ill to attend the ceremony. He died from heart disease a few months later.

Known For

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

The Mike Douglas Show

Golden Globe Awards

Golden Globe Awards

Tony Awards

Tony Awards

Tony Awards

All Movies (167)

• Henry Fonda for President2025 · as Self (archive footage)
• The Fondas: A Cinematic Dynasty2023 · as Self - Actor (archive footage)
• Citizen Jane Fonda2020
• Jay Sebring… Cutting to the Truth2020 · as Self(archive footage)
• 'Fail-Safe' and the Cold War2020 · as Self (archive footage)
• John Ford: The Man Who Invented America2019 · as Self - Actor (archive footage)
• Spanish Western2015 · as Self (archive footage)
• Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia2013 · as Self (archive footage)
• John Ford & Monument Valley2013 · as Self (archive footage)
• Beyond a Reasonable Doubt: Making '12 Angry Men'2008 · as Self (archive footage)
• Jezebel: Legend of the South2006 · as Self (archive footage)
• Sacco and Vanzetti2006 · as Prof. Tommy Turner (archive footage)
• Guilt Trip: Hitchcock and 'The Wrong Man'2004 · as Self (archive footage)
• The Wages of Sin2003 · as Self (archive footage)
• Something to Do with Death2003 · as Self (archive footage)
• An Opera of Violence2003 · as Self - Actor (archive footage)
• The Making of Midway2001 · as Self
• Revisiting 'Fail-Safe'2000 · as Self (archive footage)
• Hidden Hollywood II: More Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Vaults1999 · as (archive footage)
• Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the Line1997 · as Self (archive footage)
• Henry Fonda: Hollywood's Quiet Hero1997 · as Self (archive footage)
• La Classe américaine1993 · as Hugues (archive footage)
• Fonda on Fonda1992 · as Self (archive footage)
• Preminger: Anatomy of a Filmmaker1991
• Barbara Stanwyck: Fire and Desire1991 · as Self (archive footage)
• Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home To1990 · as (archive footage)
• The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind1988 · as Self (archive footage)
• Going Hollywood: The '30s1984 · as (archive footage)
• Let Poland Be Poland1982 · as Self
• Summer Solstice1981 · as Joshua
• On Golden Pond1981 · as Norman Thayer Jr.
• The Greatest Man in the World1981 · as Self - Series Host (uncredited)
• Gideon's Trumpet1980 · as Clarence Earl Gideon
• The Oldest Living Graduate1980 · as Col. J.C. Kincaid
• The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg1980 · as Self - Series Host (uncredited)
• Barn Burning1980 · as Self - Series Host (uncredited)
• The Jilting of Granny Weatherall1980 · as Self - Series Host (uncredited)
• Paul's Case1980 · as Self - Series Host (uncredited)
• The Golden Honeymoon1980 · as Self - Series Host (uncredited)
• The Sensational Shocking Wonderful Wacky 70's1980 · as Self (archive footage)
• Rappaccini's Daughter1980 · as Self - Series Host (uncredited)
• The Sky Is Gray1980 · as Self - Series Host (uncredited)
• Meteor1979 · as The President
• City on Fire1979 · as Fire Chief Risley
• The Man Who Loved Bears1979 · as Self
• Wanda Nevada1979 · as Old Prospector
• A Special Sesame Street Christmas1978 · as Self
• Fedora1978 · as President of the Academy
• The Swarm1978 · as Dr. Walter Krim
• The Great Smokey Roadblock1978 · as Elegant John
• Home to Stay1978 · as Grandpa George
• The Biggest Battle1978 · as Generale Foster
• Inside 'the Swarm'1978 · as Self
• Rollercoaster1977 · as Simon Davenport
• Soldier's Home1977 · as Self - Series Host (uncredited)
• The Blue Hotel1977 · as Self - Series Host (uncredited)
• The Displaced Person1977 · as Self - Series Host (uncredited)
• I'm a Fool1977 · as Self - Series Host (uncredited)
• Tentacles1977 · as Mr. Whitehead
• Underground Doctors1977 · as Self - Host
• Bernice Bobs Her Hair1976 · as Self - Series Host (uncredited)
• Midway1976 · as Adm. Chester W. Nimitz
• Collision Course: Truman vs. MacArthur1976 · as Gen. Douglas MacArthur
• Parkinson: Meet Henry Fonda1975 · as Self
• Henry James' The Jolly Corner1975 · as Narrator
• Clarence Darrow1974 · as Clarence Darrow
• Letter to Jane: An Investigation About a Still1974 · as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
• The Last Four Days1974 · as Kardinal Schuster
• Parker Adderson, Philosopher1974 · as Narrator (Voice)
• The Music School1974 · as Narrator (voice)
• My Name Is Nobody1973 · as Jack Beauregard
• Ash Wednesday1973 · as Mark Sawyer
• The Alpha Caper1973 · as Mark Forbes
• The Serpent1973 · as Alan Davies
• The Red Pony1973 · as Carl Tiflin
• Sometimes a Great Notion1971 · as Henry Stamper
• The American West of John Ford1971 · as Self - Narrator
• Directed by John Ford1971
• There Was a Crooked Man...1970 · as Woodward W. Lopeman
• The Cheyenne Social Club1970 · as Harley Sullivan
• Too Late the Hero1970 · as Capt. John G Nolan
• An Impression of John Steinbeck: Writer1969 · as John Steinbeck (voice)
• Once Upon a Time in the West1968 · as Frank
• Pat Paulsen for President1968 · as Narrator (voice)
• The Boston Strangler1968 · as John S. Bottomly
• Yours, Mine and Ours1968 · as Frank Beardsley
• Madigan1968 · as Commissioner Anthony X. Russell
• Firecreek1968 · as Bob Larkin
• A Space to Grow1968 · as Narrator
• Stranger on the Run1967 · as Ben Chamberlain
• Welcome to Hard Times1967 · as Mayor Will Blue
• To Save a Soldier1966 · as Narrator (voice)
• Born to Buck1966 · as Narrator
• A Big Hand for the Little Lady1966 · as Meredith
• The Really Big Family1966 · as Self - Narrator
• Battle of the Bulge1965 · as Lt Col Kiley
• The Dirty Game1965 · as Dimitri Koulov
• In Harm's Way1965 · as CINCPAC II
• The Rounders1965 · as Marion 'Howdy' Lewis
• Sex and the Single Girl1964 · as Frank Broderick
• Fail Safe1964 · as The President
• The Best Man1964 · as William Russell
• Spencer's Mountain1963 · as Clay Spencer
• Hollywood: The Great Stars1963 · as Self - Host
• Hollywood: The Fabulous Era1962 · as Narrator / Host
• How the West Was Won1962 · as Jethro Stuart
• The Longest Day1962 · as Brig. Gen. Theodore Roosevelt Jr.
• Advise & Consent1962 · as Robert Leffingwell
• President Kennedy's Birthday Salute1962 · as Self
• Hollywood: The Selznick Years1961 · as Self - Narrator
• The Fabulous Fifties1960 · as Narrator (segment "Fifties Dead Sequence") (voice)
• The Man Who Understood Women1959 · as Willie Bauche
• Warlock1959 · as Clay Blaisedell
• Stage Struck1958 · as Lewis Easton
• The Tin Star1957 · as Morgan Hickman
• 12 Angry Men1957 · as Juror 8
• The Wrong Man1956 · as Manny Balestrero
• War and Peace1956 · as Pierre Bezukhov
• Mister Roberts1955 · as Lieutenant Roberts
• The Petrified Forest1955 · as Alan Squier
• The Real Miss America1952 · as Narrator (voice)
• Pictura1951 · as Narrator (segment "Grant Wood") (voice)
• Benjy1951 · as Narrator (voice)
• Jigsaw1949 · as Nightclub Waiter (uncredited)
• Fort Apache1948 · as Lt. Col. Owen Thursday
• On Our Merry Way1948 · as Lank Solsky
• Daisy Kenyon1947 · as Peter Lapham
• The Fugitive1947 · as A Fugitive
• The Long Night1947 · as Joe Adams
• My Darling Clementine1946 · as Wyatt Earp
• Immortal Sergeant1943 · as Corporal Colin Spence
• The Ox-Bow Incident1943 · as Gil Carter
• The Battle of Midway1942 · as Narrator (voice)
• It's Everybody's War1942 · as Narrator
• The Big Street1942 · as Little Pinks
• Tales of Manhattan1942 · as George
• The Magnificent Dope1942 · as Thadeus Winship 'Tad' Page
• Rings on Her Fingers1942 · as John Wheeler
• The Male Animal1942 · as Tommy Turner
• You Belong to Me1941 · as Peter Kirk
• Wild Geese Calling1941 · as John Murdock
• The Lady Eve1941 · as Charles Pike
• Chad Hanna1940 · as Chad Hanna
• The Return of Frank James1940 · as Frank James
• Lillian Russell1940 · as Alexander Moore
• The Grapes of Wrath1940 · as Tom Joad
• Drums Along the Mohawk1939 · as Gilbert Martin
• Young Mr. Lincoln1939 · as Abraham Lincoln
• The Story of Alexander Graham Bell1939 · as Thomas Watson
• Let Us Live1939 · as "Brick" Tennant
• Jesse James1939 · as Frank James
• Breakdowns of 19381938 · as Self (archive footage)
• The Mad Miss Manton1938 · as Peter Ames
• Spawn of the North1938 · as Jim Kimmerlee
• Blockade1938 · as Marco
• Jezebel1938 · as Preston Dillard
• I Met My Love Again1938 · as Ives Towner
• That Certain Woman1937 · as Jack V. Merrick, Jr.
• Slim1937 · as Slim Kincaid
• Wings of the Morning1937 · as Kerry Gilfallen
• You Only Live Once1937 · as Eddie Taylor
• Spendthrift1936 · as Townsend Middleton
• The Moon's Our Home1936 · as Anthony Amberton / John Smith
• The Trail of the Lonesome Pine1936 · as Dave Tolliver
• I Dream Too Much1935 · as Johnny Street
• Way Down East1935 · as David Bartlett
• The Farmer Takes a Wife1935 · as Dan Harrow

All TV Shows (40)

• Roots: The Next Generations1979 · as Colonel Frederick Warner
• The Kennedy Center Honors1978 · as Self
• Laugh-In1977 · as Guest Performer
• Laugh-In1977 · as Guest Performer (uncredited)
• Captains and the Kings1976 · as Sen. Enfield Bassett
• Family1976 · as James Lawrence
• People's Choice Awards1975 · as Self
• Dinah!1974 · as Self
• Spécial cinéma1974 · as Self (archive footage)
• The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts1973 · as Self
• The American Film Institute Salute to ...1973 · as Self
• Film '721971 · as Self
• Cadet Rousselle1971 · as Self
• V.I.P. Schaukel1971 · as Self
• The Smith Family1971 · as Chad Smith
• All in the Family1971 · as Self
• The Bill Cosby Show1969 · as Joshua Richards
• The Doris Day Show1968 · as Henry Fonda (uncredited)
• The Dick Cavett Show1968 · as Self - Guest
• The World About Us1967 · as Narrator
• The Merv Griffin Show1962 · as Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson1962 · as Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson1962 · as Self (archive footage)
• The Mike Douglas Show1961 · as Self
• The Deputy1959 · as Marshal Simon Fry
• The Bell Telephone Hour1959 · as Self - Host
• The Steve Allen Show1956 · as Self
• Tony Awards1956 · as Self - Host / Presenter
• Tony Awards1956 · as Self - Presenter
• Tony Awards1956 · as Self - Host
• Tony Awards1956 · as Self - Nominee
• Tony Awards1956 · as Self - Co-Host / Special Award Recipient
• Tony Awards1956 · as Self (archive footage)
• The Star and the Story1955 · as Self - Host
• General Electric Theater1953 · as Emmett Kelly
• Hallmark Hall of Fame1951 · as Clarence Earl Gideon
• What's My Line?1950 · as Self - Mystery Guest
• The Ed Sullivan Show1948 · as Self
• Golden Globe Awards1944 · as Self - Cecil B. DeMille Award Recipient
• Golden Globe Awards1944 · as Self