15 Photos of a Free-Spirited Young Jane Fonda

Jane Fonda has always been a force. In addition to carving out stellar careers in film and fitness, she has spent much of her life actively fighting for the rights of others, using her platform and privilege to be a voice for people without one. Her activism has resulted in her being arrested several times—including as recently as in 2019, while participating in climate change protests in Washington, D.C.
She may have had a famous actor, Henry Fonda, for a father, but from the start, she held her own on the big screen. Long before leading Netflix’s Grace and Frankie, Fonda appeared opposite Robert Redford in Barefoot in the Park (1967) and The Electric Horseman (1979); took on the iconic titular role of Barbarella in 1968; collected Academy Awards for her work in both 1971’s Klute and 1978’s Coming Home; and delivered a terrific smash-the-patriarchy performance alongside Dolly Parton and Lily Tomlin in 9 to 5 (1980).
And she’s still a free spirit at 87. As she celebrates her birthday, Vogue revisits shots of a young Jane Fonda back when she was still a a political force in the making.