Henry Fonda: biography and filmography

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Henry Fonda is a famous actor who became the founder of a creative dynasty. This talented man graced many famous films with his presence: "12 Angry Men", "The Grapes of Wrath", "Once Upon a Time in the Wild West", "The Wrong Man". What is known about the life and work of the Oscar winner, who managed to appear in more than a hundred films?

Henry Fonda: Childhood

The future actor was born in Nebraska, and a joyful event took place in May of the distant 1905. Henry Fonda is not one of the stars whose life path is predetermined almost from the moment of birth. The boy's family had absolutely nothing to do with the world of cinema. His mother was a housewife, and his father owned a small printing house. After the birth of their only son, Henry's parents got two more daughters.

Surprisingly, the future conqueror of women's hearts grew up as a shy child, distinguished by a heightened sense of justice. Because of his desire to stand up for the truth and protect the weak, Henry Fonda often found himself in difficult situations. The boy then did not even think about acting career. He was going to become a journalist, to fight the prejudices that then existed in the world, to share with people hisobservations. Of course, he wrote stories that never found their readers.

Youth years

By the end of school, the future actor became interested in sports, began to attend various sections. The young man was engaged in running, he liked to swim and skate. The guy's family needed money, so even in high school, Henry Fonda was forced to get a job. He worked longest at the telephone company as an assistant manager.

After graduating from school, the young man began to realize his old dream - to become a reporter. He decided to learn the basics of the profession at the University of Minnesota, easily becoming a student of the Faculty of Journalism. However, soon the future actor lost interest in journalism. This prompted him to interrupt his studies and get a position in a loan company.

Choice of profession

Who knows how long his search for a life path would have continued if not for the intervention of chance. The young man's mother was a friend of the mother of the famous Marlon Brando. It was thanks to Dorothy that he became an actor of Henry Fonda. The biography of the star claims that it was she who invited the owner of a pretty appearance to participate in the production of an amateur theater troupe, which she led at that time. One of the actors could not go on stage, so the woman had to look for a replacement.

The first performance in which Henry played a small role was the production of "You and Me". Having once risen to the stage, failedthe journalist realized that his heart belongs to the theater. Of course, he immediately joined the troupe, became actively involved in its work. However, the Fund made the final decision to become an actor only three years later, as he was not sure of his talent. He retired from the credit firm and began touring the States with his theater.

First successes

The first appearance of the actor on Broadway dates back to 1929. It was then that the play "The Game of Love and Death" was presented to the attention of the audience, the plot of which was borrowed from Rolland's play. The role that Henry Fonda then received, of course, turned out to be insignificant. The young man held the position of an extra until March 1934, when the situation was changed by the play "New Faces", in which he first attracted attention.

Rumors about the newcomer's talent reached Hollywood, where he was invited by producer W alter Wanger. The fee that Henry demanded was a thousand dollars a week. A contract was signed with him, according to the terms of which he was obliged to act in two films annually. Fonda really liked these conditions, as he did not have to leave his job in his favorite theater.

Highest hour

"The Farmer Gets Married" is the first film starring Henry Fonda. The filmography of the aspiring actor acquired this comedy drama in 1935. Surprisingly, the very first film project in which he played one of the key roles gave him the status of a rising star. Spectators and critics were fascinated by his charmingsmile, clear eyes and confident movements. Fonda knew how to create the image of an ideal hero, which at that time was in dire need of American cinema.

Of course, Fonda played not only romantic heroes. He also had occasion to embody the images of criminals, but most of his negative characters became villains involuntarily, turned out to be victims of injustice. For example, we can recall Eddie Taylor - the character that Henry played in the drama You Only Live Once, presented to the audience in 1937. His hero gets out of prison, finds a job and tries to start living anew, but insurmountable circumstances push him down the wrong path again.

Bright roles of the 30s-40s

The actor of the Foundation Henry considered the film "Young Mr. Lincoln" to be his great creative success. Not everyone gets the opportunity to play one of the most prominent people in the United States. In preparation for the role, he studied many books on the president. The actor embodied the image of Lincoln in 1939.

The Grapes of Wrath tape, the plot of which was taken from Steinbeck's work of the same name, gained immense popularity. In this drama, Fonda again played one of the central roles. The film is dedicated to the difficult fate of the Joad family living in Oklahoma, it examined the problems that many small farmers were forced to face in an era of economic crisis. The role earned Henry an Oscar nomination.

Fonda is an actor who has starred in manywesterns. For example, the audience remembered the picture "The Ox Bow Incident", in which he embodied the image of the cowboy Carter. The character played by Henry in this tape was ready to defend the triumph of justice at the cost of his own life. Other westerns with his participation were also successful: Jesse James, My Dear Clementine. Not to mention the witty film "Lady Eve", in which the actor showed the world that he is able to brilliantly play comedic roles.

What else to see

Of course, not all the outstanding films in which Henry Fonda managed to star in are listed above. Films worthy of the attention of fans of a talented actor were also released in the post-war years. For example, it is impossible not to mention the film epic "War and Peace" presented to the audience in 1956. In this tape, the star of American cinema embodied the image of Pierre Bezukhov. The actor brilliantly played this hero, even the lack of external resemblance to the character did not stop him. Bezukhov in his performance turned out to be an elegant and charming aristocrat.

The actor spent a lot of time preparing for the filming of the film "12 Angry Men", in which he embodied the image of the architect Davis. He carefully thought out the subtleties of the character of his character, who accidentally turned out to be a juror, on which the fate of the defendant depends. Another outstanding film with the participation of the actor is Once Upon a Time in the Wild West. Henry Fonda played a hired killer ruthless to his victims in this drama.

Private life

It cannot be said that the actor was lucky in his personallife. He entered into legal marriage five times, and two of his spouses committed suicide. He managed to find personal happiness only at the end of his life, when he met a young stewardess, Shirley Adams. The star had three children, two of them (Jane and Peter) followed in the footsteps of the famous father, choosing the acting profession. Not to mention that Henry is the grandfather of the famous actress Bridget Fonda.

Henry Fonda, whose photo can be seen in this article, passed away in August 1982. The last picture with his participation was released in 1981.

Interesting facts

During his lifetime, the actor owned a small farm located in Brentwood. Growing vegetables is a hobby for which he was ready to spend almost all his free time. Being small, his children could not even understand what his father was doing, believing that he was a farmer. The celebrity also had more creative hobbies: photography, sculpture, painting. He especially liked to draw. Today, landscapes painted by his hand are very popular with collectors and receive positive reviews from critics.

Henry is the owner of the Bronze Star. This honorary award was presented to the actor for military merit during World War II. He spent about three years at the front, joining the US Navy in August 1942. By the end of the Foundation war, he had risen to the rank of Air Force Intelligence Officer.