Henry Fonda
Acting
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
Acting199
movieHenry Fonda for President
2025
Self (archive footage)
movieThe Fondas: A Cinematic Dynasty
2023
Self - Actor (archive footage)
movieJay Sebring… Cutting to the Truth
2020
Self(archive footage)
movie'Fail-Safe' and the Cold War
2020
Self (archive footage)
movieJohn Ford: The Man Who Invented America
2019
Self - Actor (archive footage)
movieSpanish Western
2015
Self (archive footage)
movieGore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia
2013
Self (archive footage)
movieJohn Ford & Monument Valley
2013
Self (archive footage)
movieBeyond a Reasonable Doubt: Making '12 Angry Men'
2008
Self (archive footage)
movieJezebel: Legend of the South
2006
Self (archive footage)
movieSacco and Vanzetti
2006
Prof. Tommy Turner (archive footage)
movieGuilt Trip: Hitchcock and 'The Wrong Man'
2004
Self (archive footage)
movieThe Wages of Sin
2003
Self (archive footage)
movieSomething to Do with Death
2003
Self (archive footage)
movieAn Opera of Violence
2003
Self - Actor (archive footage)
movieBarbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the Line
1997
Self (archive footage)
movieHenry Fonda: Hollywood's Quiet Hero
1997
Self (archive footage)
movieLa Classe américaine
1993
Hugues (archive footage)
movieFonda on Fonda
1992
Self (archive footage)
movieBarbara Stanwyck: Fire and Desire
1991
Self (archive footage)
movieMyrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home To
1990
(archive footage)
movieThe Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind
1988
Self (archive footage)
movieGoing Hollywood: The '30s
1984
(archive footage)
movieSummer Solstice
1981
Joshua
movieOn Golden Pond
1981
Norman Thayer Jr.
movieThe Greatest Man in the World
1981
Self - Series Host (uncredited)
movieGideon's Trumpet
1980
Clarence Earl Gideon
movieThe Oldest Living Graduate
1980
Col. J.C. Kincaid
movieThe Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg
1980
Self - Series Host (uncredited)
movieBarn Burning
1980
Self - Series Host (uncredited)
movieThe Jilting of Granny Weatherall
1980
Self - Series Host (uncredited)
moviePaul's Case
1980
Self - Series Host (uncredited)
movieThe Golden Honeymoon
1980
Self - Series Host (uncredited)
movieThe Sensational Shocking Wonderful Wacky 70's
1980
Self (archive footage)
movieRappaccini's Daughter
1980
Self - Series Host (uncredited)
movieThe Sky Is Gray
1980
Self - Series Host (uncredited)
movieMeteor
1979
The President
movieCity on Fire
1979
Fire Chief Risley
movieWanda Nevada
1979
Old Prospector
tvRoots: The Next Generations
1979
Colonel Frederick Warner
movieFedora
1978
President of the Academy
movieThe Swarm
1978
Dr. Walter Krim
movieThe Great Smokey Roadblock
1978
Elegant John
movieHome to Stay
1978
Grandpa George
movieThe Biggest Battle
1978
Generale Foster
Laugh-In
1977
Guest Performer / Guest Performer (uncredited)
movieRollercoaster
1977
Simon Davenport
movieSoldier's Home
1977
Self - Series Host (uncredited)
movieThe Blue Hotel
1977
Self - Series Host (uncredited)
movieThe Displaced Person
1977
Self - Series Host (uncredited)
movieI'm a Fool
1977
Self - Series Host (uncredited)
movieTentacles
1977
Mr. Whitehead
movieUnderground Doctors
1977
Self - Host
movieBernice Bobs Her Hair
1976
Self - Series Host (uncredited)
tvCaptains and the Kings
1976
Sen. Enfield Bassett
movieMidway
1976
Adm. Chester W. Nimitz
tvFamily
1976
James Lawrence
movieCollision Course: Truman vs. MacArthur
1976
Gen. Douglas MacArthur
tvDinah!
1974
Self
tvSpécial cinéma
1974
Self (archive footage)
movieClarence Darrow
1974
Clarence Darrow
movieLetter to Jane: An Investigation About a Still
1974
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
movieThe Last Four Days
1974
Kardinal Schuster
movieThe Music School
1974
Narrator (voice)
movieMy Name Is Nobody
1973
Jack Beauregard
movieAsh Wednesday
1973
Mark Sawyer
movieThe Alpha Caper
1973
Mark Forbes
movieThe Serpent
1973
Alan Davies
movieThe Red Pony
1973
Carl Tiflin
movieSometimes a Great Notion
1971
Henry Stamper
movieThe American West of John Ford
1971
Self - Narrator
tvThe Smith Family
1971
Chad Smith
movieThere Was a Crooked Man...
1970
Woodward W. Lopeman
movieThe Cheyenne Social Club
1970
Harley Sullivan
movieToo Late the Hero
1970
Capt. John G Nolan
tvThe Bill Cosby Show
1969
Joshua Richards
movieAn Impression of John Steinbeck: Writer
1969
John Steinbeck (voice)
moviePat Paulsen for President
1968
Narrator (voice)
movieThe Boston Strangler
1968
John S. Bottomly
tvThe Doris Day Show
1968
Henry Fonda (uncredited)
tvThe Dick Cavett Show
1968
Self - Guest
movieYours, Mine and Ours
1968
Frank Beardsley
movieMadigan
1968
Commissioner Anthony X. Russell
movieFirecreek
1968
Bob Larkin
movieA Space to Grow
1968
Narrator
tvThe World About Us
1967
Narrator
movieStranger on the Run
1967
Ben Chamberlain
movieWelcome to Hard Times
1967
Mayor Will Blue
To Save a Soldier
1966
Narrator (voice)
movieThe Really Big Family
1966
Self - Narrator
movieBattle of the Bulge
1965
Lt Col Kiley
movieThe Dirty Game
1965
Dimitri Koulov
movieIn Harm's Way
1965
CINCPAC II
movieThe Rounders
1965
Marion 'Howdy' Lewis
movieSex and the Single Girl
1964
Frank Broderick
movieFail Safe
1964
The President
movieThe Best Man
1964
William Russell
movieSpencer's Mountain
1963
Clay Spencer
movieHollywood: The Great Stars
1963
Self - Host
movieHollywood: The Fabulous Era
1962
Narrator / Host
movieHow the West Was Won
1962
Jethro Stuart
tvThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
Self / Self (archive footage)
movieThe Longest Day
1962
Brig. Gen. Theodore Roosevelt Jr.
movieAdvise & Consent
1962
Robert Leffingwell
movieHollywood: The Selznick Years
1961
Self - Narrator
movieThe Fabulous Fifties
1960
Narrator (segment "Fifties Dead Sequence") (voice)
movieThe Man Who Understood Women
1959
Willie Bauche
tvThe Deputy
1959
Marshal Simon Fry
movieWarlock
1959
Clay Blaisedell
tvThe Bell Telephone Hour
1959
Self - Host
movieStage Struck
1958
Lewis Easton
movieThe Tin Star
1957
Morgan Hickman
movie12 Angry Men
1957
Juror 8
movieThe Wrong Man
1956
Manny Balestrero
movieWar and Peace
1956
Pierre Bezukhov
tvTony Awards
1956
Self - Host / Presenter / Self - Presenter / Self - Host / Self - Nominee / Self - Co-Host / Special Award Recipient / Self (archive footage)
movieMister Roberts
1955
Lieutenant Roberts
movieThe Petrified Forest
1955
Alan Squier
tvThe Star and the Story
1955
Self - Host
tvGeneral Electric Theater
1953
Emmett Kelly
The Real Miss America
1952
Narrator (voice)
tvHallmark Hall of Fame
1951
Clarence Earl Gideon
moviePictura
1951
Narrator (segment "Grant Wood") (voice)
movieBenjy
1951
Narrator (voice)
tvWhat's My Line?
1950
Self - Mystery Guest
movieJigsaw
1949
Nightclub Waiter (uncredited)
movieFort Apache
1948
Lt. Col. Owen Thursday
movieOn Our Merry Way
1948
Lank Solsky
movieDaisy Kenyon
1947
Peter Lapham
movieThe Fugitive
1947
A Fugitive
movieThe Long Night
1947
Joe Adams
movieMy Darling Clementine
1946
Wyatt Earp
tvGolden Globe Awards
1944
Self - Cecil B. DeMille Award Recipient / Self
movieImmortal Sergeant
1943
Corporal Colin Spence
movieThe Ox-Bow Incident
1943
Gil Carter
movieThe Battle of Midway
1942
Narrator (voice)
movieIt's Everybody's War
1942
Narrator
movieThe Big Street
1942
Little Pinks
movieThe Magnificent Dope
1942
Thadeus Winship 'Tad' Page
movieRings on Her Fingers
1942
John Wheeler
movieThe Male Animal
1942
Tommy Turner
movieYou Belong to Me
1941
Peter Kirk
movieWild Geese Calling
1941
John Murdock
movieThe Lady Eve
1941
Charles Pike
movieChad Hanna
1940
Chad Hanna
movieThe Return of Frank James
1940
Frank James
movieLillian Russell
1940
Alexander Moore
movieThe Grapes of Wrath
1940
Tom Joad
movieDrums Along the Mohawk
1939
Gilbert Martin
movieYoung Mr. Lincoln
1939
Abraham Lincoln
movieThe Story of Alexander Graham Bell
1939
Thomas Watson
movieLet Us Live
1939
"Brick" Tennant
movieJesse James
1939
Frank James
movieBreakdowns of 1938
1938
Self (archive footage)
movieThe Mad Miss Manton
1938
Peter Ames
movieSpawn of the North
1938
Jim Kimmerlee
movieBlockade
1938
Marco
movieJezebel
1938
Preston Dillard
movieI Met My Love Again
1938
Ives Towner
movieThat Certain Woman
1937
Jack V. Merrick, Jr.
movieSlim
1937
Slim Kincaid
movieWings of the Morning
1937
Kerry Gilfallen
movieYou Only Live Once
1937
Eddie Taylor
movieSpendthrift
1936
Townsend Middleton
movieThe Moon's Our Home
1936
Anthony Amberton / John Smith
movieThe Trail of the Lonesome Pine
1936
Dave Tolliver
movieI Dream Too Much
1935
Johnny Street
movieWay Down East
1935
David Bartlett
movieThe Farmer Takes a Wife
1935
Dan Harrow
Production2
tvThe Deputy
1959
Executive Producer
movie12 Angry Men
1957
Producer