Bridget Fonda was once one of the most recognizable actresses of the 1990s, but these days, catching a glimpse of the former Hollywood star has become a rarity.
Now 62, Fonda was recently spotted leaving a restaurant in Los Angeles with an assistant, marking her first photographed public appearance in more than eight months. She kept things extremely casual in a white tank top and black leggings, carrying a crossbody bag and wearing her hair in a loose updo.
It’s a dramatically different life from the one Fonda led at the height of her fame. Over the past few years, photographers have occasionally caught her running errands around Los Angeles, usually dressed casually and apparently uninterested in returning to the glamorous image associated with her movie career.
Her retreat from attention isn’t entirely surprising. Even when she was a successful actress, Fonda admitted that fame made her uncomfortable. She described herself as naturally shy and acknowledged that she disliked feeling exposed.
Hollywood nevertheless seemed almost inevitable for her. The daughter of Peter Fonda, granddaughter of Henry Fonda and niece of Jane Fonda built an impressive career of her own, appearing in movies including “The Godfather Part III,” “Single White Female,” “Point of No Return” and “Lake Placid.”
Everything changed in the early 2000s. Her final acting appearance came in 2002, and the following year she was involved in a serious car accident in Malibu that left her with a fractured back. She recovered but never returned to the screen.
Fonda married composer Danny Elfman in 2003, and the couple welcomed their son Oliver two years later. Family life ultimately replaced Hollywood premieres and movie sets as the center of her world.
And despite occasional speculation about a comeback, Fonda has made her position clear. When asked several years ago whether she wanted to act again, she declined, explaining that she preferred life as a private citizen.
