Peter Fonda, the son ofHenry Fondaand the younger brother ofJane Fonda, has died, PEOPLE confirms. He was 79.
Peter’s family confirmed the sad news in an exclusive statement to PEOPLE on Friday and said that the two-time Oscar-nominee died after suffering respiratory failure due to lung cancer.
“The official cause of death was respiratory failure due to lung cancer,” they continued.
“In one of the saddest moments of our lives, we are not able to find the appropriate words to express the pain in our hearts. As we grieve, we ask that you respect our privacy,” they wrote.
“And, while we mourn the loss of this sweet and gracious man, we also wish for all to celebrate his indomitable spirit and love of life,” the Fonda family finished. “In honor of Peter, please raise a glass to freedom.”
Peter Fonda.David Heerde/Shutterstock
Peter, who became a movie star and counterculture icon with his 1969 movieEasy Rider, was born in New York City to screen legend Henry Fonda and Frances Ford Seymour.
The star spent his early years growing up alongside his older sister, Jane, until he was sent to boarding school at just 6 years old.
In his 1998 book,Don’t Tell Dad: A Memoir, Peter said his mom’s death was something that his “forbidding figure” father, who was remote and often away on set, lied about and subsequently “ignored”.
“When I walked toward [my family] they told me to go through the closed doors and into the living room. I opened the doors and saw Jane, Grandma, and Dad sitting on the couches. Jane was on Dad’s lap,” Peter recalled in the memoir. “I went to Grandma, and she told me Mother had died of a heart attack, in a hospital.”
Peter Fonda and daughter Bridget Fonda.Ron Galella/Getty Images
“After that, no one ever talked about Mom. No one seemed to miss her. It was almost as if she had never lived. Jane and I never went to a funeral or service for her; I didn’t know where she was buried,” he added.
When he finally did learn what happened to his mother, Peter said “he was stunned. I sat there for two or three minutes, speechless … Everyone else knew. Knew everything! But not me.”
“It was like she’d just been erased,” Jane said. “[The Christmas after she died], Peter filled a chair with presents and a letter for her. He couldn’t stand that there was no acknowledgment of her. He was such a sensitive, sweet, vulnerable kid.”
According to his memoir, one day after spending the afternoon together, dad Henry started to cry.
“Slowly and choking on the high-powered emotion, he said, ‘I love you very much, son. I want you to know that,'” Peter wrote.
Peter Fonda and Jane Fonda.Gregg DeGuire/WireImage
Despite their tough relationship, Peter followed in his father’s footsteps and went on to study acting in college and made his professional stage debut in 1961 in the Broadway production ofBlood, Sweat, and Standley Poole.
That same year, Peter married Susan Brewer and they had two children — actressBridget Fondaand Justin Fonda.
RELATED VIDEO: Jane Fonda Opens Up About Her Mother’s Suicide: ‘It Has A Big Impact On Your Sense of Self’
Two years after his Broadway debut, the actor transitioned into the film world and made his debut inTammy and the Doctor,before playing an ensemble role in the World War II sagaThe Victors.
He also appeared in 1966’sWild Angels, opposite Nancy Sinatra and Bruce Dern, andThe Tripin 1967.
His breakout role, however, came in 1969 when he starred as Wyatt inEasy Rider, which he also produced and co-scripted. For his work on the project, Peter earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
Peter Fonda and Nancy Sinatra inWild Angels.Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
Around that time, Peter “dove headlong into the era’s sea of drugs and sexual freedom,” which eventually led to his 1972 divorce from Brewer, according to his memoir.
Three years later, Peter married Portia Crockett and continued to act in a series of films, such asUlee’s Gold,The Hired Hand, and3:10 to Yuma.
He also directed a number of projects and earned himself several accolades along the way, including four Golden Globe nominations (two of which he won), one Emmy nomination and earned another Oscar nomination forUlee’s Gold.
In 2011, however, Peter and Crockett called it quits. His final marriage came in June of that year to Margaret “Parky” DeVogelaere.
Peter Fonda.Mark Sullivan/WireImage
More recently, Peter was featured on television series, includingCSI: NY, Hawaii Five-O, The Blacklist, and Milo Murphy’s Law.
At the time of his death, he was in pre-production for a movie calledSkate God, expected to release in 2020, according to his IMDb. The last film he acted in wasThe Last Full Measurewhich is expected to be released later this year.
source: people.com
