Actor
Henry Fonda
Born 16 May 1905 · Grand Island, Nebraska, USA — died 12 August 1982
Henry Fonda (1905–1982) was an American actor whose career spanned five decades on stage and screen. He became a Hollywood emblem of quiet integrity, most memorably in John Ford's films and 12 Angry Men. He also played a chilling villain in Once Upon a Time in the West and won his only competitive Oscar late in life.
Key films
The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
His Tom Joad performance, directed by John Ford, earned an Oscar nomination and defined his image as a decent everyman.
The Lady Eve (1941)
Showed his comic range opposite Barbara Stanwyck in Preston Sturges's celebrated screwball comedy.
12 Angry Men (1957)On Cinespective
He starred as the lone dissenting juror and co-produced this landmark courtroom drama.
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)On Cinespective
Sergio Leone cast him against type as a ruthless killer, subverting his heroic screen persona.
On Golden Pond (1981)
His final major film role, opposite Katharine Hepburn, brought him the Best Actor Oscar.
Key awards
- 1958 BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actor, 12 Angry Men
- 1980 Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award
- 1981 Academy Honorary Award
- 1982 Academy Award for Best Actor, On Golden Pond
- 1982 Golden Globe for Best Actor (Drama), On Golden Pond
On Cinespective
Full filmography · 166
- 1935I Dream Too Much · as Johnny StreetActor
- 1935The Farmer Takes a Wife · as Dan HarrowActor
- 1935Way Down East · as David BartlettActor
- 1936The Trail of the Lonesome Pine · as Dave TolliverActor
- 1936The Moon's Our Home · as Anthony Amberton / John SmithActor
- 1936Spendthrift · as Townsend MiddletonActor
- 1937You Only Live Once · as Eddie TaylorActor
- 1937That Certain Woman · as Jack V. Merrick, Jr.Actor
- 1937Wings of the Morning · as Kerry GilfallenActor
- 1937Slim · as Slim KincaidActor
- 1938Jezebel · as Preston DillardActor
- 1938The Mad Miss Manton · as Peter AmesActor
- 1938Spawn of the North · as Jim KimmerleeActor
- 1938Blockade · as MarcoActor
- 1938I Met My Love Again · as Ives TownerActor
- 1938Breakdowns of 1938 · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1939Young Mr. Lincoln · as Abraham LincolnActor
- 1939Drums Along the Mohawk · as Gilbert MartinActor
- 1939Jesse James · as Frank JamesActor
- 1939The Story of Alexander Graham Bell · as Thomas WatsonActor
- 1939Let Us Live · as "Brick" TennantActor
- 1940The Grapes of Wrath · as Tom JoadActor
- 1940The Return of Frank James · as Frank JamesActor
- 1940Lillian Russell · as Alexander MooreActor
- 1940Chad Hanna · as Chad HannaActor
- 1941The Lady Eve · as Charles PikeActor
- 1941You Belong to Me · as Peter KirkActor
- 1941Wild Geese Calling · as John MurdockActor
- 1942The Battle of Midway · as Narrator (voice)Actor
- 1942Tales of Manhattan · as GeorgeActor
- 1942The Big Street · as Little PinksActor
- 1942Rings on Her Fingers · as John WheelerActor
- 1942The Magnificent Dope · as Thadeus Winship 'Tad' PageActor
- 1942The Male Animal · as Tommy TurnerActor
- 1942It's Everybody's War · as NarratorActor
- 1943The Ox-Bow Incident · as Gil CarterActor
- 1943Immortal Sergeant · as Corporal Colin SpenceActor
- 1946My Darling Clementine · as Wyatt EarpActor
- 1947Daisy Kenyon · as Peter LaphamActor
- 1947The Fugitive · as A FugitiveActor
- 1947The Long Night · as Joe AdamsActor
- 1948Fort Apache · as Lt. Col. Owen ThursdayActor
- 1948On Our Merry Way · as Lank SolskyActor
- 1949Jigsaw · as Nightclub Waiter (uncredited)Actor
- 1951Benjy · as Narrator (voice)Actor
- 1951Pictura · as Narrator (segment "Grant Wood") (voice)Actor
- 1952The Real Miss America · as Narrator (voice)Actor
- 1955Mister Roberts · as Lieutenant RobertsActor
- 1955The Petrified Forest · as Alan SquierActor
- 1956The Wrong Man · as Manny BalestreroActor
- 1956War and Peace · as Pierre BezukhovActor
- 195712 Angry Men · as Juror 8Actor
- 1957The Tin Star · as Morgan HickmanActor
- 1958Stage Struck · as Lewis EastonActor
- 1959Warlock · as Clay BlaisedellActor
- 1959The Man Who Understood Women · as Willie BaucheActor
- 1960The Fabulous Fifties · as Narrator (segment "Fifties Dead Sequence") (voice)Actor
- 1961Hollywood: The Selznick Years · as Self - NarratorActor
- 1962The Longest Day · as Brig. Gen. Theodore Roosevelt Jr.Actor
- 1962How the West Was Won · as Jethro StuartActor
- 1962Advise & Consent · as Robert LeffingwellActor
- 1962President Kennedy's Birthday Salute · as SelfActor
- 1962Hollywood: The Fabulous Era · as Narrator / HostActor
- 1963Spencer's Mountain · as Clay SpencerActor
- 1963Hollywood: The Great Stars · as Self - HostActor
- 1964Fail Safe · as The PresidentActor
- 1964Sex and the Single Girl · as Frank BroderickActor
- 1964The Best Man · as William RussellActor
- 1965Battle of the Bulge · as Lt Col KileyActor
- 1965In Harm's Way · as CINCPAC IIActor
- 1965The Rounders · as Marion 'Howdy' LewisActor
- 1965The Dirty Game · as Dimitri KoulovActor
- 1966A Big Hand for the Little Lady · as MeredithActor
- 1966To Save a Soldier · as Narrator (voice)Actor
- 1966Born to Buck · as NarratorActor
- 1966The Really Big Family · as Self - NarratorActor
- 1967Welcome to Hard Times · as Mayor Will BlueActor
- 1967Stranger on the Run · as Ben ChamberlainActor
- 1968Once Upon a Time in the West · as FrankActor
- 1968The Boston Strangler · as John S. BottomlyActor
- 1968Yours, Mine and Ours · as Frank BeardsleyActor
- 1968Madigan · as Commissioner Anthony X. RussellActor
- 1968Firecreek · as Bob LarkinActor
- 1968A Space to Grow · as NarratorActor
- 1968Pat Paulsen for President · as Narrator (voice)Actor
- 1969An Impression of John Steinbeck: Writer · as John Steinbeck (voice)Actor
- 1970There Was a Crooked Man... · as Woodward W. LopemanActor
- 1970Too Late the Hero · as Capt. John G NolanActor
- 1970The Cheyenne Social Club · as Harley SullivanActor
- 1971Sometimes a Great Notion · as Henry StamperActor
- 1971Directed by John FordActor
- 1971The American West of John Ford · as Self - NarratorActor
- 1973My Name Is Nobody · as Jack BeauregardActor
- 1973The Serpent · as Alan DaviesActor
- 1973Ash Wednesday · as Mark SawyerActor
- 1973The Alpha Caper · as Mark ForbesActor
- 1973The Red Pony · as Carl TiflinActor
- 1974The Last Four Days · as Kardinal SchusterActor
- 1974Letter to Jane: An Investigation About a Still · as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)Actor
- 1974Clarence Darrow · as Clarence DarrowActor
- 1974Parker Adderson, Philosopher · as Narrator (Voice)Actor
- 1974The Music School · as Narrator (voice)Actor
- 1975Henry James' The Jolly Corner · as NarratorActor
- 1975Parkinson: Meet Henry Fonda · as SelfActor
- 1976Midway · as Adm. Chester W. NimitzActor
- 1976Bernice Bobs Her Hair · as Self - Series Host (uncredited)Actor
- 1976Collision Course: Truman vs. MacArthur · as Gen. Douglas MacArthurActor
- 1977Rollercoaster · as Simon DavenportActor
- 1977Tentacles · as Mr. WhiteheadActor
- 1977The Blue Hotel · as Self - Series Host (uncredited)Actor
- 1977The Displaced Person · as Self - Series Host (uncredited)Actor
- 1977I'm a Fool · as Self - Series Host (uncredited)Actor
- 1977Soldier's Home · as Self - Series Host (uncredited)Actor
- 1977Underground Doctors · as Self - HostActor
- 1978The Swarm · as Dr. KrimActor
- 1978Fedora · as President of the AcademyActor
- 1978The Biggest Battle · as Generale FosterActor
- 1978The Great Smokey Roadblock · as Elegant JohnActor
- 1978A Special Sesame Street Christmas · as SelfActor
- 1978Inside 'the Swarm' · as SelfActor
- 1978Home to Stay · as Grandpa GeorgeActor
- 1979Meteor · as The PresidentActor
- 1979City on Fire · as Fire Chief RisleyActor
- 1979Wanda Nevada · as Old ProspectorActor
- 1979The Man Who Loved Bears · as SelfActor
- 1980Gideon's Trumpet · as Clarence Earl GideonActor
- 1980Paul's Case · as Self - Series Host (uncredited)Actor
- 1980Barn Burning · as Self - Series Host (uncredited)Actor
- 1980Rappaccini's Daughter · as Self - Series Host (uncredited)Actor
- 1980The Golden Honeymoon · as Self - Series Host (uncredited)Actor
- 1980The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg · as Self - Series Host (uncredited)Actor
- 1980The Sky Is Gray · as Self - Series Host (uncredited)Actor
- 1980The Sensational Shocking Wonderful Wacky 70's · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1980The Oldest Living Graduate · as Col. J.C. KincaidActor
- 1980The Jilting of Granny Weatherall · as Self - Series Host (uncredited)Actor
- 1981On Golden Pond · as Norman Thayer Jr.Actor
- 1981Summer Solstice · as JoshuaActor
- 1981The Greatest Man in the World · as Self - Series Host (uncredited)Actor
- 1982Let Poland Be Poland · as SelfActor
- 1984Going Hollywood: The '30s · as (archive footage)Actor
- 1988The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1990Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home To · as (archive footage)Actor
- 1991Preminger: Anatomy of a FilmmakerActor
- 1991Barbara Stanwyck: Fire and Desire · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1992Fonda on Fonda · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1993La Classe américaine · as Hugues (archive footage)Actor
- 1997Barbara Stanwyck: Straight Down the Line · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1997Henry Fonda: Hollywood's Quiet Hero · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1999Hidden Hollywood II: More Treasures from the 20th Century Fox Vaults · as (archive footage)Actor
- 2001The Making of Midway · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2003The Wages of Sin · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2003An Opera of Violence · as Self - Actor (archive footage)Actor
- 2003Something to Do with Death · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2004Guilt Trip: Hitchcock and 'The Wrong Man' · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2006Sacco and Vanzetti · as Prof. Tommy Turner (archive footage)Actor
- 2006Jezebel: Legend of the South · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2008Beyond a Reasonable Doubt: Making '12 Angry Men' · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2013Gore Vidal: The United States of Amnesia · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2013John Ford & Monument Valley · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2015Spanish Western · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2019John Ford: The Man Who Invented America · as Self - Actor (archive footage)Actor
- 2020Citizen Jane Fonda · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2020Jay Sebring… Cutting to the Truth · as Self(archive footage)Actor
- 2020'Fail-Safe' and the Cold War · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2023The Fondas: A Cinematic Dynasty · as Self - Actor (archive footage)Actor
- 2025Henry Fonda for President · as Self (archive footage)Actor
Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.