Jane Fonda says Jennifer Lopez helped her resurrect her career

Jane Fonda says Jennifer Lopez helped her resurrect her career after not working in a film for 15 years. Fonda said despite her legendary career, securing a role in the 2005 film Monster-in-Law put her back on the map.

The 84-year-old actress and activist said the movie was the “only smart thing” she had done. According to the Daily Mirror, Jane, who played a role in the 1990s movie Stanley and Iris alongside Robert De Niro, said it was a big comeback. “The biggest stroke of luck was getting the role in Monster-in-Law at a point in my career when I had been out of the acting business for 15 years or more.”

© Monster-in-Law

“It was with Jennifer Lopez, and it was a great comeback for me. I was almost 65 years old when I got this script out of the blue,” she says. “It was the only smart career thing I ever did. I thought, ‘People are going to come to the movie to see J.Lo, but they’ll rediscover Fonda’, and that’s what happened.”

© Monster-in-Law

After starring in several other films, Fonda secured a leading role in the 2015 comedy series Grace and Frankie. Although the show ended earlier this year, Jane has no plans to retire. “I don’t feel like slowing down because I truly love what I do. I still love going to work every day and still feel deeply connected and passionate about what I believe in and in making changes for the better. I don’t think that will ever change,” she said, as reported by The Mirror. “If you still have passion, and if you haven’t become cynical and remained open to life, then no matter how old you are chronologically, you’re still young. Aging is relative.”

In April, Fonda shared her thoughts on growing old, explaining that “you can be really old at 60, and you can be really young at 85.”

“I’m super-conscious that I’m closer to death. And it doesn’t really bother me that much,” Jane shared, confessing that what bothers her is that “My body is, you know basically not mine!” adding, “My knees are not mine, my hips are not mine, my shoulder’s not mine. You’re looking at somebody who’s only me from here up.”

The star says she appreciates being able to continue her incredible career in the entertainment industry, “The fact that I’m still alive and working, wow, who cares if I don’t have my old joints? And I can’t ski or bike or run anymore?”