Jane Fonda was honored with the prestigious SAG Life Achievement Award at the 2025 Screen Actors Guild Awards on Sunday, February 23, during a star-studded ceremony hosted by Kristen Bell at Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall. The 87-year-old actress-activist, who has spent decades both gracing the screen and fighting for social change, was recognized for her exceptional career and profound impact on both the entertainment industry and society.
Following an introduction by presenter Julia Louis-Dreyfus and a highlight reel showcasing her remarkable body of work, Fonda took the stage to a standing ovation from the crowd. “This means the world to me,” the two-time Academy Award winner began her heartfelt acceptance speech, before thanking SAG-AFTRA for their support. “Your enthusiasm makes this seem less like a late twilight-of-my-life [moment] and more like a, ‘Go girl, kick ass [one],’” Fonda added with a smile, declaring that she was far from finished with her career.
“I’m not done,” she said, prompting cheers from the audience.
Reflecting on her unconventional and “un-strategic” career, Fonda, who took a 15-year hiatus from acting before returning at 65, described herself as a “late bloomer” in Hollywood. She also shared her thoughts on the importance of unions, explaining that she is a “big believer in unions” and believes they provide workers with community and power. “Community means power, and this is really important right now when workers’ power is being attacked and community is being weakened,” she said.
Fonda continued by highlighting the unique role of actors in society, explaining that while they do not produce tangible goods, they create something equally powerful: empathy. “We don’t manufacture anything tangible. What we create is empathy,” she said. “Our job is to understand another human being so profoundly that we can touch their souls. We know why they do what they do; we feel their joys and their pain.”
She gave examples of roles that demand complex empathy, such as playing characters like sex workers or bullies, explaining, “While you may hate the behavior of your character, you have to understand and empathize with the traumatized person you’re playing.”
Fonda also took the opportunity to address the often-misunderstood term “woke.” “Make no mistake, empathy is not weak or ‘woke’—and by the way, ‘woke’ just means you give a damn about other people,” she said, to applause from the crowd.
Later in her speech, Fonda expressed her belief that empathy would be crucial as the world faces new challenges. “A whole lot of people are gonna be really hurt by what is happening; what is coming our way,” she warned. “Even if they are of a different political persuasion, we need to call upon our empathy and not judge, but listen from our hearts, and welcome them into our tent. Because we are gonna need a big tent to resist successfully what’s coming at us.”
She then recalled the early days of her career, starting with her first film in 1958, during the final years of McCarthyism, when many actors’ careers were destroyed. Fonda noted how Hollywood had resisted, pointing out that brave American producers like Hannah Weinstein and iconic figures such as Myrna Loy and Billy Wilder had actively supported blacklisted writers. “Have any of you ever watched a documentary of one of the great social movements, like apartheid or our civil-rights movement or Stonewall, and asked yourself, would you have been brave enough to walk the bridge?” Fonda asked the audience. “We don’t have to wonder anymore, because we are in our documentary moment. This is it, and it’s not a rehearsal.”
She urged those in the room not to be passive during challenging times. “We must not isolate. We must stay in community. We must help the vulnerable. We must find ways to project an inspiring vision of the future—one that is beckoning, welcoming, that will help people believe that, to quote the novelist Pearl Cleage, ‘On the other side of the conflagration, there will still be love. There will still be beauty, and there will be an ocean of truth for us to swim in.’ Let’s make it so.”
In closing, Fonda thanked the audience for their encouragement and reiterated her gratitude. “Thank you for this encouragement. Thank you.”
Fonda was the 60th recipient of the SAG Life Achievement Award, which honors performers who have made significant contributions to the acting profession and actively supported humanitarian causes. The award has been presented to legendary figures such as Barbra Streisand, Sally Field, Helen Mirren, and Robert De Niro in recent years.
SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher praised Fonda’s lasting impact, calling her “a trailblazer and an extraordinary talent” who has shaped the landscape of entertainment, advocacy, and culture. “We honor Jane not only for her artistic brilliance but for the profound legacy of activism and empowerment she has created,” Drescher said in a statement.
Fonda’s career spans more than six decades, with notable achievements including two Academy Awards for her roles in Klute (1971) and Coming Home (1978), two BAFTAs, an Emmy Award, and seven Golden Globe Awards. In 2021, Women in Film established the annual Jane Fonda Humanitarian Award in recognition of her lifelong commitment to social justice and environmental advocacy.
As she accepted the SAG Life Achievement Award, Fonda’s legacy as both an actress and activist was on full display. She remains one of the most influential figures in Hollywood, known for her powerful performances, her courageous activism, and her unwavering commitment to social change.
The 2025 SAG Awards, which honored the best in film and television for 2024, also saw Wicked and Shōgun dominate the nominations list.
