At Cannes 2026, Jane Fonda reflects on a four-year break from film, revealing she turned down “surface” scripts that relied on stereotypes of older women. Now 88, she returns in The Correspondent as Sybil Van Antwerp, a complex retired lawyer she feels born to play, celebrating a rare bidding war over the book and calling for richer roles for women.
Jane Fonda knows a thing or two about what makes a good movie. And a powerful female lead tops the list. “She’s a complicated, nuanced, deep character, and what she goes through is very universal” she says, as she carefully describes Sybil Van Antwerp, the retired lawyer she is set to play in her upcoming move, The Correspondent. “I know her, I love her, I’m born to play her” she remarks, with a tone that suggests both her longing and readiness to play a character she genuinely connects with
“It’s been about four years since I made a movie,” she recollects, explaining that it is primarily because of the “surface” nature of the scripts she has received, describing them those that entertain narratives with “stereotypes of older women,” which is far detached from the types of characters she wishes to play. In her rejection of such roles, Fonda has also set a clear standard for the kind of an industry she wants to be part of and the changes she would like to see, stating that she’d “rather not work” if such scripts and roles persist.
“And then along comes this wonderful book” she says with a sense of relief almost. “I’ve been in the business 62 years. I’ve never had an experience with a bidding war where every studio wanted this book,” she shares, smiling brightly and excitedly as though this has been a long-awaited achievement. “It’s nice at 88 to have an experience like this,” she adds, sounding most thankful and showing us what it looks like to progress humbly with time.