Bucknell Forum to Present Academy Award-winning Actor, Activist Jane Fonda

Academy Award-winning actor, producer, author, activist and fitness guru Jane Fonda will close out the Bucknell Forum 2023-24 series, presenting in a moderated discussion with Bucknell President John Bravman on the theme "Freedom of Expression" Tuesday, March 19, at 7:30 p.m. in the Weis Center for the Performing Arts. She will then engage in a limited Q&A session, where she will answer questions from Bucknell students.

About Jane Fonda
Fonda is a two-time Academy Award-winning actor, winning Best Actress in 1971 for Klute and in 1978 for Coming Home. Over more than 50 years, she has built a distinguished career, accumulating more than 50 film credits while also championing political causes such as women's rights, Native American rights, and environmental advocacy. She is a seven-time Golden Globe winner who was honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Award in 2021 and The Harry Belafonte Voices for Social Justice Award at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival.

Fonda had four notable film releases in 2023. She reunited with Diane Keaton, Mary Steenburgen and Candice Bergen for Focus Features' Book Club 2. She starred in 80 For Brady opposite Sally Field, Rita Moreno and longtime friend and colleague Lily Tomlin. In Paul Weitz's Moving On for Roadside Attractions, Fonda played opposite Tomlin again. Fonda showcased her vocal talents as "Grandmama" in DreamWorks' animated film Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken. Her other credits include Grace & Frankie, Netflix's longest-running original series, for which she received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2017, and Jane Fonda in Five Acts, an HBO documentary that chronicled her life and activism in 2018.

Her at-home fitness program, Jane Fonda's Workout, revolutionized the fitness industry when it was released in 1982 — it remains the top-grossing home video of all time. Fonda followed its success with 23 additional home exercise videos, 13 audio recordings, and five books, which sold a total of 16 million copies.

Fonda has demonstrated her commitment to fighting the climate crisis with initiatives like Fire Drill Fridays, a national movement she started in October 2019 in partnership with Greenpeace USA to protest government inaction on climate change. In 2022, she launched the Jane Fonda Climate PAC, which targets political allies of the fossil fuel industry. Her latest book, What Can I Do? My Path From Climate Despair To Action, details her journey within the movement and provides solutions for communities to combat the climate crisis. Notably, Fonda celebrated her 85th birthday by raising $1 million for her nonprofit, Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power & Potential.

"Jane Fonda has spent her entire career as a fearless advocate for people and the planet. No matter what the cost to her career or even her individual safety, she has put the needs of social justice ahead of her own; finding meaning and purpose, friendship and community in the pursuit of a better world," said Women in Film (WIF) Executive Director Kirsten Schaffer upon naming WIF's humanitarian award after Fonda in 2021.

Event Information
All Bucknell Forum events are free and open to the public, although tickets are required.

Current Bucknell students and employees may receive up to two free tickets at any Campus Box Office location or online between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Monday, March 18, a day prior to the event. A valid Bucknell University ID is required to receive advance tickets. Use of multiple Bucknell IDs to pick up additional sets of tickets is prohibited.

Remaining tickets will be available for the general public at the Weis Center box office beginning at 5:30 p.m. or online on the day of the event. All individuals may receive up to two free tickets, depending on availability.

Seating will begin in the concert hall at 6:45 p.m. Tickets for this event are assigned seating, not general admission.

An ASL interpreter will be signing at the event for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Attendees who need this service should contact sebright@bucknell.edu for seating arrangements.

Questions regarding this event may be directed to the Division of Communications at 570-577-3260 or theforum@bucknell.edu.

About the Bucknell Forum
Fonda is one of five nationally renowned speakers who participated in this year's Bucknell Forum — a speaker series that since 2007 has featured national leaders, scholars and commentators who have examined various issues from multidisciplinary and diverse viewpoints.