>> Jane fonda has been a movie
star for more than half a
century, but when I ran a clip
from one of her most celebrated
films, 1981's golden pond, in
which she co start with her
father, Henry fonda, I was
surprised by her reaction.
>> It seems that you and me
have been mad at each other for
so long.
>> I did not know we were mad,
I just thought we did not like
each other.
>> I want to be your friend.
>> This means you will come
around more often, unlike your
mother?
>> I will come around more
often.
>> You did not watch that scene,
why not?
>> Because it makes me cry.
I miss my dad so much.
>> That scene felt like more
than a scene in a movie.
>> It was.
>> You know, I love my dad and
admire him.
He was quite a bit like Norman,
removed, not able to express --
he always liked to do things
that were rehearsed a lot.
I purposely did something that
had not been rehearsed because
I wanted him to be surprised.
When I said, I want to be your
friend and touch this arm, we
had not rehearsed that.
And he flinches, and he ducked
his head and puts his hand like
this, but I saw that he was
emotional.
It's funny for an acted that
does not want to be seen as a
emotional, but he was terrified
of emotions.
That meant a lot to me.
I went to his house, wanted to
talk to him about the scene,
because I had a hard time with
the scene.
It was so personal that when we
actually got there to do it, I
totally dried up.
It was like an actor's worst
nightmare, and I asked them
afterwards at dinner, has that
ever happened to?
No, no, that's it.
I could not get into --
>> How was it to love this man,
and for him, it's part of
Hollywood lore, we all read
about, he was so emotionally
beholden.
I would think that would be
tough.
>> Well, it is.
It is very common, especially
for women my age, or boys and
girls my age, not just women,
whose fathers were of that
generation, and especially
mid-western.
There was a certain attitude,
like, you don't ever ask
anything, don't express need,
and you stifle your emotions.
Of course, when a figure of
your love is withholding and
repressed, it has an impact on
a kid and their relationships
after they grow up.
I've been married three times.
I did not have a good hand that
to me when it comes to
relationships.
>> We were both crazy enough,
potion off to follow our famous
fathers into their professions.
Did you resolve things with
your father before the end of
his life?
>> That movie on golden pond
was kind of like a resolution,
in a way.
My being able to say that to
him in the scene, and he died
five months later, and before
he died, I was able to tell him
that I loved him --
the I forgave him for whatever
it did not happen, and I hope
that he would forgive me for
not being a better daughter.
I got to say that to him.
He did not say anything, but he
wept, and I had never seen that
before.
I never seen my father
breakdown in front of me.
It was powerful.
>> I have to say, I think it's
one of the greatest gifts.
I had a challenging
relationship with my dad at
various points, and he lived
long enough that we made it up
and became best friends.
I always felt that was such a
gift because I cannot imagine
going through life after it's
too late and not having that
resolved.
>> It's so important to try to
clear everything up before you
go.
I am not scared of dying, are
you?
>> I am not looking forward to
it.
>> I am.
It's an adventure.
I don't want to go, I still
have a lot to do, but if I
discovered that I had cancer
again, and there was nothing I
could do, I would be okay with
it.
What I am really scared of is
getting to the end of life with
a lot of regrets, when there is
no time to do anything about
it.
It's one reason that I try to
--
I am trying to get it all done
before I come to the end.
>> But do you have regrets?
I would think that you would be
somebody that feels pretty good
about --
>> I have very few regrets.
I was not the kind of mother
that I wished I had been to my
children, but I have great,
great children, talented, smart,
and I just did not know how to
do it.
You know, I have an
organization in Georgia that
deals with adolescents, and I
studied parenting.
I know what it is supposed to
be no.
I did not know than.
I am trying to show up now.
>> Jane, I got to say, this is
quite a conversation we're
having here.
This is real, which is exactly
what I am looking for.
>> I hate parties.
I hate cocktail parties.
I always end up finding one
person that is interesting and
sitting and a corner all night.
Do you do the?
>> I know what you're saying.
>> Because I am shy, basically.
Just small talk, I can't do it,
isn't that boring?
>> I want to ask you a couple
of other questions.
As you say, you were married
three times to three very
different men.
French film director Roger --
Tom Hayden, the anti war
activists and of course, Tom
Warner, who created CNN.
You set much of your life, you
turned two men for guidance and
validation, is that because you
did not get it from you that?
>> Yeah, I suppose, and the
fact that my mother killed
herself when I was 12.
You know, I just assumed that
nobody would be interesting and
knowing me unless I was with a
man who is interesting, and
they were all interesting.
>> When did that change for you,
when did you realize that, one,
I, Jane fonda is interesting
and, to, I don't need a man?
>> When Ted turner and I split
in 2000, started a new century
on my own, and I kind of
thought, oh, I am single and I