Thanks to her quick wit, girl next door allure, and a last name that screams “Hollywood legacy,” Bridget Fonda’s success in the film industry seemed destined”.
And Fonda’s career was wonderful at its best from the late 1980s into the 1990s as she waltzed through suspenseful thrillers (Single White Female), endearing rom-coms (It Could Happen To You), and fantasy fare (Frankenstein Unbound).
Fonda hasn’t had a single movie or TV show appearance since 2002. We have some explanations for you if you’re one of the many fans who is curious about where she went.
To put it briefly: too much, too soon.
The family name Fonda practically demanded a breakthrough in the movie business. Even though she made her acting debut in Easy Rider at the ripe old age of five in an uncredited role as one of the commune kids, it wasn’t until she landed a part in a school production of Harvey that she truly caught the acting bug.
Fonda graduated from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and Lee Strasberg Theater Institute in 1986 with a degree in theater, and she immediately started living it up in Hollywood.
With the blockbuster Aria, which took home the Cannes Film Festival’s top prize, Fonda made her acting debut in 1987. Both critics and viewers praised her performance, and the movie served as Fonda’s springboard to stardom. After giving outstanding supporting performances in the 1989 movies Shag and Scandal, she gained even more fame as a star in The Godfather III. She later showed off her comedic skills with her part in Doc Hollywood.
an issue with the “it girl. ”.
The critically acclaimed Cameron Crowe dramedy, the blockbuster thriller Single White Female, as well as Fonda’s uncredited appearance in 1992’s Army Of Darkness all contributed to her continued popularity in the early 1990s.
She had the air of being able to handle any genre. She was equally at ease portraying characters who were cool and trendy, weak and attractive, or smart and alluring. But she was capable of taking bloody, gory mayhem. Yes, she was also capable of producing successful box office performances; the Single White Female movie’s opening weekend alone brought in close to $50 million.
With that level of success, Fonda’s “it girl” reputation was inevitable. It put her in good early 1990s company alongside celebrities like Meg Ryan and Julia Roberts, but it also comes with a lot of pressure.
Fonda struggled to handle the highs (Point Of No Return, Jackie Brown) and lows (The Road To Wellville, The Whole Shebang) despite her persistent efforts over the years that followed. Her career slowed down in the late 1990s, and as many other well-known people can attest, it’s challenging to restart a sluggish career.
She worked hard in a short period of time.
We can only guess as to why Fonda withdrew, but there’s no denying that she made the most of her time in the spotlight. She produced more than 30 films in a comparatively short period of time between 1987 and 1998, averaging three to four per year.
It’s not difficult to imagine that Fonda gave up under that kind of pressure. Nevertheless, it was hard to blame her given that each and every one of those projects required pre- and post-production work in addition to the actual production time.
Over the course of about 11 years, Fonda never missed a day of work. Sincerely, the thought of that work schedule makes our heads spin. It’s impossible to know what impact it had on Fonda.
TV wasn’t a big hit.
In fact, Fonda turned down the lead role in Ally McBeal in 1999 so that she could concentrate on her acting career after receiving years of interest from television producers. It’s difficult to contest that choice given the fact that Ally McBeal only lasted five seasons and didn’t exactly launch its star Calista Flockhart into an acting career. The question of whether Fonda would have benefited from appearing in a series, however, cannot be avoided.
But she didn’t really succeed at television, despite her best efforts.
She also appeared in the TV films No Ordinary Baby and Snow Queen, and she had a supporting role in the excellent but underrated Chris Isaak Show. Since the start of the latter project in December 2002, Fonda hasn’t appeared in any movies or TV shows.
The Hollywood machine had an effect.
Undoubtedly, Fonda could have had additional justifications for leaving. It’s understandable why Bridget Fonda didn’t see much of a future in acting given the difficulty women face in the industry and the pressure to keep a good reputation.
She left Hollywood at the age of 38 with 49 film and television credits after establishing her acting talent and success as a box office draw. Why not escape the stardom’s vacuum of pressure before it escapes her?
Look no further than the father of Bridget Fonda to see how much Hollywood celebrates a triumphant comeback.
Who’s to say Bridget Fonda won’t visit the red carpet again at some point?
The elder Fonda spent the majority of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s working in subpar B-movie filler after becoming established in the 1960s. He didn’t regain the trust of Hollywood until he portrayed the main character in Ulee’s Gold in 1997, for which he received an Oscar nomination.
Although we’re sort of holding our breath that Elfman might use his connections to get Bridget cast in one of the upcoming films from frequent collaborator, director Tim Burton, we’re kind of holding our breath that he might use his connections to get her cast in a difficult, supporting role on a fantastic Netflix or Amazon series. Take Beetlejuice 2, for instance. Who wouldn’t enjoy seeing Fonda and Winona together?
