Bridget Fonda’s success in the movie industry appeared destined thanks to her quick wit, girl next door appeal, and a last name that screams “Hollywood legacy.”.
And Fonda’s career was the epitome of wonderful 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).
Since 2002, Fonda hasn’t appeared in a single film or TV program. If you’re one of the many fans who is wondering where she went, we have some answers for you.
Too much, too soon, in a nutshell.
The family name of Fonda practically demanded a breakthrough in the film industry. 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 really caught the acting bug.
Fonda entered Hollywood’s high life right away after earning a theater degree from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and Lee Strasberg Theater Institute in 1986.
Fonda made her screen debut in 1987 with the hit movie Aria, which won the Cannes Film Festival. Her performance was praised by both critics and viewers, and the film was Fonda’s launching pad to fame. She gained even more notoriety as a star in the 1990 film The Godfather III after giving excellent supporting turns in the 1989 films Shag and Scandal. With her role in Doc Hollywood, she later demonstrated her comic chops.
Problem with the “it girl.”.
Fonda continued to be in demand in the early 1990s thanks to roles in the critically acclaimed Cameron Crowe dramedy and the blockbuster thriller Single White Female, as well as her uncredited appearance in 1992’s Army Of Darkness.
It appeared that she could handle any genre. She was equally at ease playing characters who were cool and hip, vulnerable and beautiful, or smart and seductive. But she could handle bloody, gruesome mayhem. Yes, she could produce strong box office results as well; the Single White Female movie’s debut alone made close to $50 million.
With that kind of success, Fonda’s “it girl” reputation was unavoidable. While it put her in good early ’90s company with stars like Julia Roberts and Meg Ryan, it also carries with it a lot of pressure.
Despite her consistent efforts over the years that followed, Fonda was unable to handle the highs (Point Of No Return, Jackie Brown) and lows (The Road To Wellville, The Whole Shebang). Her career slowed down in the late 1990s, and as many other famous people can attest, it’s difficult to restart a sluggish career.
In a short amount of time, she put in a lot of work.
Although we can only speculate as to why Fonda withdrew, there’s no denying that she made the most of her time in the spotlight. Between 1987 and 1998, she produced an average of three to four movies a year, totaling more than 30 in a comparatively short amount of time.
It’s not hard to imagine that under that kind of pressure, Fonda simply burned out. But who could blame her, each and every one of those projects had its pre- and post-production preparations, not to mention the actual production time.
Fonda worked continuously for approximately 11 years. Sincerely speaking, the thought of that work schedule makes our heads spin. What effect it had on Fonda is only speculative.
TV wasn’t a success.
Television producers pursued Fonda for years; in fact, she turned down the lead role in Ally McBeal in 1999 so that she could focus on her acting career. It’s hard to argue with that decision given that Ally McBeal only ran for five seasons and didn’t exactly catapult its star Calista Flockhart into a career in acting. However, it is impossible to help but wonder if Fonda would have benefited from acting in a series.
On the other hand, her attempts at television weren’t particularly fruitful. She played a supporting role in the excellent but underappreciated Chris Isaak Show in addition to appearing in the TV movies No Ordinary Baby and Snow Queen. Fonda hasn’t appeared in any films or television programs since the launch of the latter project in December 2002.
The Hollywood machine had an impact.
Naturally, Fonda might have had additional reasons for leaving. Because it’s difficult for women to find work in Hollywood and because maintaining a good reputation is stressful, it’s understandable why Bridget Fonda didn’t see much of a future in acting.
After establishing her acting talent and success as a box office draw, she left Hollywood at the age of 38 with 49 film and television credits to her name. Why not flee the stardom’s pressure vacuum before it flees her?
For proof that Hollywood loves a successful comeback, just look at Bridget Fonda’s father.
Who’s to say, too, that Bridget Fonda won’t return to the red carpet at some point?
After establishing himself in the 1960s, the elder Fonda spent the majority of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s working in mediocre B-movie filler. He didn’t win back Hollywood’s favor until he played the lead in 1997’s Ulee’s Gold, for which he received an Oscar nomination.
Though we’re sort of holding our breath that Elfman might pull a few strings to get Bridget cast in one of the upcoming projects from frequent collaborator, director Tim Burton, we’re kind of holding our breath that he might pull a few strings to get her cast in a challenging, supporting role on a fantastic Netflix or Amazon series. For instance, Beetlejuice 2. Who wouldn’t want to watch Fonda and Winona together?
