Peter Fonda had an estimated net worth of $40 million at the time of his death in 2019. The American actor, director, producer and author built his fortune during a career spanning nearly six decades, with income coming from film and television acting, directing, producing, writing and other entertainment projects.
Fonda became an icon of the 1960s counterculture after starring in and co-writing the 1969 classic Easy Rider. The film became a landmark of American cinema and established him as one of the defining figures of the counterculture movement.
He later appeared in films including The Hired Hand, Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry, Futureworld, The Cannonball Run, Escape from L.A. and Ulee’s Gold. His performance in Ulee’s Gold earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and a Golden Globe Award.
Peter Fonda died on August 16, 2019, at the age of 79 after battling lung cancer.
| Peter Fonda Net Worth | $40 Million |
| Date of Birth | February 23, 1940 |
| Place of Birth | New York City |
Early Life
Peter Henry Fonda was born on February 23, 1940, in New York City. He was the only son of legendary actor Henry Fonda and socialite Frances Ford Seymour.
His older sister was actress Jane Fonda. He also had a maternal half-sister from his mother’s first marriage.
When Peter was 10 years old, his mother died by suicide while receiving treatment at a mental hospital.
Fonda attended Fay School in Massachusetts before going to Westminster School, a Connecticut boarding school. He graduated in 1958.
After high school, he studied acting in Omaha, Nebraska, and attended the University of Nebraska. He was also recruited to join the Omaha Community Playhouse.
Beginning of Peter Fonda’s Acting Career
Fonda returned to New York in 1960 and joined the Cecilwood Theatre. He eventually began working on Broadway and gained attention for his performance in Blood, Sweat and Stanley Poole.
He soon began appearing on television, with early credits including Wagon Train, Naked City and The Defenders.
In 1963, Fonda made his film debut in Tammy and the Doctor, starring alongside Sandra Dee. The same year, he appeared in the World War II drama The Victors.
His performance earned him a Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year.
Fonda continued working in television, appearing on programs including The Alfred Hitchcock Hour and 12 O’Clock High. In 1964, he starred in The Young Lovers after appearing in Lilith alongside Gene Hackman and Warren Beatty.
Peter Fonda and the 1960s Counterculture
During the mid-1960s, Fonda developed a reputation as one of Hollywood’s leading nonconformists.
He became associated with the emerging counterculture and moved away from the traditional image of a Hollywood star. His appearance in Roger Corman’s 1966 film The Wild Angels was particularly significant.
The biker movie helped establish Fonda’s association with motorcycles and counterculture cinema. It also contributed to the popularity of the biker-film genre.
In 1967, he starred in Corman’s The Trip, a film written by Jack Nicholson that explored the experience of taking LSD. Dennis Hopper and Bruce Dern were among the other actors in the movie.
Fonda later traveled to France, where he appeared alongside his sister Jane Fonda in Spirits of the Dead.
Easy Rider Breakthrough
Peter Fonda reached the defining point of his career in 1969 with Easy Rider.
Fonda produced and co-wrote the film with Dennis Hopper and Terry Southern, while also starring as Wyatt, one of two bikers traveling across the United States.
Made for less than $400,000, Easy Rider became a major commercial success, grossing about $60 million. Its success made it one of the most profitable films of its era.
The movie explored the social divisions, freedom and political tensions of 1960s America and became a defining film of the counterculture movement.
Fonda, Hopper and Southern received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.
Directing Career
Fonda expanded his work in Hollywood by moving behind the camera.
In 1971, he directed his first feature film, The Hired Hand, a Western in which he also played the lead role.
He followed it with Idaho Transfer in 1973, a science-fiction film that he directed.
In 1979, Fonda returned to directing with Wanda Nevada, in which he also starred. The film is notable for being the only movie to feature both Peter Fonda and his father, Henry Fonda.
His work as a director allowed him to build another source of income while establishing himself as a filmmaker rather than simply an actor.
Film Career in the 1970s
Following Easy Rider, Fonda appeared in several films that reinforced his reputation as an unconventional Hollywood star.
His credits included Dennis Hopper’s The Last Movie, Two People, Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry, Open Season, Race with the Devil, 92 in the Shade, Killer Force and Futureworld.
He also reunited with Roger Corman for Fighting Mad.
The combination of mainstream films and independent productions allowed Fonda to maintain a diverse career during the 1970s.
Peter Fonda in the 1980s and 1990s
Fonda remained active in film and television throughout the 1980s.
He appeared in The Cannonball Run, playing a motorcycle-riding character that paid homage to his earlier screen persona. He later starred alongside James Woods and Karen Allen in Split Image.
His other 1980s credits included Daijōbu, My Friend, Dance of the Dwarfs, Spasms, A Reason to Live, Certain Fury and The Rose Garden.
In the 1990s, Fonda appeared in films including Enemy, Family Express, South Beach, Deadfall, Molly & Gina and Nadja.
He also appeared in John Carpenter’s Escape from L.A.
Ulee’s Gold and Later Success
One of the most important late-career moments for Fonda came in 1997 with Ulee’s Gold.
He played the title character, a beekeeper struggling with family problems and his past. The performance received widespread critical acclaim.
Fonda earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and won a Golden Globe for his performance.
The following year, he won another Golden Globe for his role in the television film The Passion of Ayn Rand.
These performances demonstrated that Fonda’s career extended well beyond his counterculture image of the 1960s.
2000s and Final Years
Fonda continued acting during the 2000s, appearing in films such as South of Heaven, West of Hell, Wooly Boys, The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things and 3:10 to Yuma.
He also provided the voice of an aging hippie character in the popular video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
In 2002, Fonda was inducted into the American Motorcyclist Association Motorcycle Hall of Fame.
His later film credits included The Trouble with Bliss, Smitty, Copperhead, House of Bodies, The Ballad of Lefty Brown and You Can’t Say No.
His final two films, The Magic Hours and The Last Full Measure, were released after his death in 2019.
Personal Life
Peter Fonda was married three times.
He married Susan Brewer in 1961, and the couple had two children, Justin and Bridget Fonda. They divorced in 1974.
In 1975, he married Portia Rebecca Crockett. The marriage lasted until 2011.
Fonda later married Margaret DeVogelaere, who remained his wife until his death.
His children, Bridget and Justin Fonda, also pursued careers in acting, continuing the family’s connection to Hollywood.
Peter Fonda’s Real Estate
Real estate was another part of Fonda’s assets.
For more than three decades, he maintained a ranch in Paradise Valley, Montana. The property provided Fonda with a private retreat away from Hollywood and reflected his long-standing connection to the American West.
Peter Fonda’s Death
Peter Fonda died on August 16, 2019, at his Los Angeles home. He was 79.
His family said he died after battling lung cancer.
Fonda left behind a career that stretched from early television appearances in the 1960s to films released after his death.
Also Read: Bridget Fonda Net Worth
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