In what could actually be our dreams coming true, actresses Brie Larson and Jane Fonda sat down to discuss the entertainment industry, the male gaze and sexual assault.
In the interview published by NET-A-PORTER, Larson explains she’s been drawn to Fonda ever since she started acting, and views filmmaking as her own form of activism. The two discussed the many ways the patriarchy continues to shit on women’s lives, especially in male-dominated career fields.
“I’ve been raped, I’ve been sexually abused as a child and I’ve been fired because I wouldn’t sleep with my boss,” Fonda said. “And I always thought it was my fault; that I didn’t do or say the right thing.”
She diagnoses herself with a “disease to please,” and Larson quips that many women suffer from this.
“It’s an epidemic,” Fonda adds.
They talked about the ways they try to combat the patriarchy using their activist platforms. Fonda applauded Larson for finding her activist voice so early in her career and in her life, admitting it wasn’t until the height of the Vietnam War when she finally spoke out.
Jane Fonda’s 1970 mugshot after an altercation with a police officer at an airport.
“You’re way ahead of me,” Fonda said. “Unlike you, Brie, it took me 60 years to learn how to say no.”
Their conversation highlights how women in the industry can pass the feminist torch to the next generation of activist actresses. But Fonda doesn’t plan on retiring anytime soon. You can check out the third season of Netflix’s Grace and Frankie premiering March 24.
Fonda ends the interview admitting she wishes she could apply what she knows now at 79 to her younger self. While modest, don’t forget she’s advocated for the environment, women’s issues and marginalized people across the globe. It’s not hard to see her track record is still impressive.
Top photo from Grace and Frankie
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