The American actor Peter Fonda, son of Henry Fonda and brother of Jane Fonda, an icon of the 60s, died Friday 16th August 2019, at the age of 79 years.
The American actor Peter Fonda, made famous by his role as a biker in the film Easy Rider (1969) that he co-wrote, died Friday, August 16th 2019 in the morning at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 79 years, leaving orphaned a generation marked by this feature film entered the legend.
Son of Hollywood star Henry Fonda, Jane Fonda’s little brother and father of Bridget Fonda, Peter Fonda died of respiratory arrest caused by lung cancer, his publicist said in a statement.
“While we mourn the loss of this sweet and graceful man, we also wish to celebrate his indomitable spirit and his love of life. In honour of Peter, toast to freedom, please, “concludes the statement signed by his family.
” I am very sad. It was my nice little brother adored. The talkative of the family. I had wonderful times alone with him these past few days. He left with a laugh, “said Jane Fonda in a statement to AFP.
Easy Rider, written by Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper and Terry Southern, played by the first two and directed by Hopper, is one of the standard films of the American counterculture of the sixties. It evokes the quest for freedom through a motorcycle odyssey in the great outdoors of the American Southwest.
The image of Peter Fonda with his legs extended on his Harley-Davidson chopper painted in the colours of the American flag is emblematic of the cinema of that time. A copy of this bike had sold at auction $ 1.35 million in 2014.
“Icon”
The death of the actor, whose most famous film marked the history of the 60s, may leave a great void.
“#PeterFonda” icon, simply tweeted actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, accompanying his message with a photo, in black and white, Peter Fonda, leather jacket on the shoulders and huge American flag on the back.
“Rest in Peace,” tweeted American director Ava DuVernay with a photo from 2012 where she makes a selfie with what she calls “legendary”.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the film (14 July 1969) Peter Fonda had organized a screening in New York on 20 September, with musicians to interpret the famous rock soundtrack of the film, including the unforgettable ” Born to Be Wild “ from the Steppenwolf band.
In 1998, Peter Fonda competed in the Oscars for his role in Victor Nuñez’s film The Gold of Life , which ultimately earned him a Golden Globe.
More recently, Peter Fonda had played Mephistopheles in Ghost Rider (2007). His latest film, The Last Full Measure, starring Samuel L. Jackson, Morgan Freeman and Laurence Fishburne, is due out in late October in the United States.
An environmental activist from the beginning, the actor made a splash at the Cannes Film Festival in 2011 when he called US President Barack Obama a “fucking traitor” by blaming him for managing a tide. black in the Gulf of Mexico caused by the sinking of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig.
