Jane Fonda Wishes She Was Brave Enough To Go Without Plastic Surgery

Jane Fonda Grace and Frankie

On screens both big and small, there's no denying that Jane Fonda has cemented her legacy. Throughout the past five decades, the actress/activist has propelled herself into becoming a prominent figure of Hollywood. With the continued success of the Netflix series Grace and Frankie, which she stars in alongside Lily Tomlin, Fonda continues to hold onto that high-standing legacy. Now, that life and those achievements are celebrated and explored in the new HBO documentary Jane Fonda in Five Acts, where recently premiered on the premiere station. Inside that documentary, the actress makes a number of confessions and revelations from hours upon hours of recorded conversations. One of those revelations relates to plastic surgery.

On one level, I hate the fact that I've had the need to alter myself physically to feel that I'm OK. I wish I wasn't like that. I love older faces. I love lived-in faces. I loved Vanessa Redgrave's face. I wish I was braver. But I am what I am.

The revealing admission, as recorded by Entertainment Tonight, is one of many made by Jane Fonda throughout the television documentary. It's all part of the "intimate look" promised within the promotional materials for Five Acts. As Fonda admits in the film, while she is happy she looks good for her age, she also knows that her looks are the result of plastic surgery -- at least, to some extent -- and she doesn't find herself afraid to admit that. Jane Fonda looks at a few of her contemporary actresses, including Vanessa Redgrave, and Fonda wonders if she would have been better off not going forward with getting plastic surgery in the first place. But alas, the decision was made, and it's one that Jane Fonda lives with now.

To be clear, it doesn't sound like Jane Fonda is disappointed in the plastic surgery she got. Rather, the veteran actress seems disappointed that she went forward with the decision in the first place, opting to change her looks (if even marginally) rather than age naturally and provide an example to others. As she confesses in the open-hearted documentary, Fonda wishes she was "braver" in her choices (at least, in this particular regard) and decided not to make this choice.

Nevertheless, what's done is done. But Jane Fonda continues to remain active and optimistic. In addition to Grace and Frankie, which was renewed for a fifth season on the streaming service back in February, Fonda is also signed on to the upcoming follow-up to the workplace comedy 9 to 5, where she is expected to reunite with Dolly Parton and her Grace and Frankie co-star Lily Tomlin. The famous actress considered making this new sequel/follow-up to be the easiest decision she ever made. In addition to starring in the upcoming film, meanwhile, she also serves as a producer.

Additionally, Jane Fonda was recently seen in Book Club earlier this summer. If these projects were keeping her busy already, she is also reportedly in the midst of writing another book. Despite all these achievements, however, Fonda claims she didn't feel like she made it until she turned 80, which happened on her last birthday in December. There's no denying that Fonda continues to be a powerhouse figure in Hollywood -- in this decade and several others.

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Will Ashton

Will is an entertainment writer based in Pittsburgh, PA. His writing can also be found in The Playlist, Cut Print Film, We Got This Covered, The Young Folks, Slate and other outlets. He also co-hosts the weekly film/TV podcast Cinemaholics with Jon Negroni and he likes to think he's a professional Garfield enthusiast.