Peter Fonda Biography

Actor Peter Fonda was the star of the counterculture classic Easy Rider, the son of actor Henry Fonda, the brother of Jane Fonda and the father of Bridget Fonda.

Peter Fonda grew up in a Hollywood family; his father Henry was one of the most popular actors of the 1940s and 1950s, often portraying upright, noble and humble men. After a few years of acting on the stage, Peter Fonda got started in the movies in 1962. Several small parts in Hollywood movies later, he teamed with Dennis Hopper and produced and starred in Easy Rider (1969, with Jack Nicholson). The film, about young men on an ill-fated motorcycle adventure across America, made him a star.

During the 1970s, Peter Fonda appeared in movies such as Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry and Wanda Nevada (which he also directed). Two decades later, he was nominated for an Oscar for his performance as a beekeeper in Ulee’s Gold (1997, co-starring Jessica Biel).

Peter Fonda’s other films include The Limey (1999, directed by Steven Soderbergh), Thomas and the Magic Railroad (2000, starring Alec Baldwin) and the 2007 remake of the western 3:10 to Yuma (starring Russell Crowe and Christian Bale).